The oldest surviving work of literature in human history, inscribed on clay tablets in ancient Mesopotamia. It follows King Gilgamesh of Uruk and his companion Enkidu through heroic and tragic adventures, culminating in Gilgamesh's confrontation with death and his futile search for immortality. Its themes — friendship, hubris, grief, and the limits of human knowledge — are as immediate now as they were 4,000 years ago.
