The Epic of Gilgamesh (two sessions)

From a thousand years before Homer or the Old Testament, the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh tells a profound story of friendship and loss, grief, the fear of mortality, and the attainment of wisdom. This relatively short, but incredibly sophisticated poem abounds in energy, adventure and pathos—and even includes a version of the Flood story from long before Noah.

The 19th century discovery in Nineveh of cuneiform tablets with the Epic returned to the world a masterpiece of literature that had been lost for two millennia; the poem’s rediscovery and ongoing reconstruction are fascinating tales of their own.

This eleven-week study offers the rare opportunity for a slow and careful reading of this rich and rewarding poem.  The study begins on 6 October and ends on 22 December and will include a visit to the British Museum’s world-leading collection of Mesopotamian objects—including the cuneiform tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh itself.

STUDY DETAILS:

• Eleven-week virtual study facilitated by Mark Cwik via Zoom
• Thursdays, 3.00-5.15pm (UK), 6 October to 22 December, 2022
• £300 to include opening notes and resources
• Recommended editions:

  The Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by Andrew George, Penguin Classics, revised edition, 2002, ISBN-13: 9780140449198

  The Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by Benjamin Foster, Norton Critical Edition (2nd edition, 2019) ISBN-13: ‎978-0393643985