A) The Epic of Gilgamesh
- Gilgamesh “had seen everything” and “journeyed to the edge of the world.”
- Built the walls of Uruk — “ramparts gleam like copper in the sun.”
- The city represents human achievement and pride.
B) Uruk, Gilgamesh’s Capital City
- Uruk is walled — protection from both enemies and the environment.
- Early idea: nature = dangerous, city = safety and civilization.
- “Observe the land it encloses” — gardens, orchards, temples — the built environment.
- Marks one of the first distinctions between natural and unnatural.
- In Gilgamesh’s time: the city is privileged.
- Today: we often privilege “natural” (organic, pure) — but the divide still exists.
C) The Character Gilgamesh
- Historical king from ~4600 years ago.
- “Trampling its citizens like a wild bull” — arrogant and cruel.
- Abuses power and “uses” women — reference to institutionalized rape.