y. This proves the bravest of people at times show fear, and even the strongest can be outfought. For the ideal man, like Gilgamesh, hide insecurities through a faade that presents him as flawless. He displays this faade in order to maintain power and authority throughout his community.Hammurabi also displayed moments of merciless behavior through his code of law. He distinctively discriminated against the lower class. One law, that of retribution, states, “a noble who destroyed the eye or broke the bone of another noble would have his own eye destroyed or bone broken, but if a noble destroyed the eye or broke the bone of a commoner, the noble merely paid a fine in silver.”14 This reveals the clear distinction of consequence for different social classes that emerged in Mesopotamia. Like Gilgamesh, when a ruler possesses full authority, they are able to punish or reward whomever at the their own will.According to this information, one can assume many things about ancient Mesopotamian culture. It is obvious that cultures exhibited a great amount of pride for their city, and most of all, their leader. They looked upon their leaders as first-rate heroes. Officers were not elected by family ties but by “merit, skill, and bravery.”15 The citizens believed that deities intervened in human affairs. It was revealed long after Gilgamesh’s death that he was actually considered a god. This helps explain his fear towards death. Gilgamesh wanted to physically be a great warrior until the end of time opposed to just another historic memory. Although it was not actually death he was afraid of, Gilgamesh feared the obliteration of his glory and honor. In conclusion, the values from ancient Mesopotamian culture correlate to those in The Epic of Gilgamesh. The role of warriors show many similarities, including strength, bravery, and hubris. Furthermore, Gilgamesh compares with historic figures by expressing a...
