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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 5 page paper which utilizes the "Epic of Gilgamesh" to reconstruct the past to examine Sumerian politics, including the interpretation of
kingship and the role of the Council of Elders. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: TG15_TGsumpol.doc
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
to first consider yesterday. Sumer was one of the most ancient of civilizations, having existed over 3,500 years before the birth of Christ, in a region of the Middle
East once known as Mesopotamia, now Iraq. It had been one of the most impressive of ancient civilizations, highly advanced in terms of agriculture, art, architecture, science, and politics.
Sumer was subdivided into regions or cities, each presided over by its own king. They had a highly organized hierarchical class structure which consisted of kings, high priests,
their officers, aristocrats, commoners (or farmers), then finally, slaves (Greer 16). The Sumerians were polytheistic, worshipping many gods and goddesses, but their foremost consideration was the preservation of order,
in terms of government, society, and the universe (Greer 16). Since there were not historians, per se, chronicling the Sumerian civilization for future scholars and students to ponder, what
little which is known about it has been ascertained through the anonymously-written literary Epic of Gilgamesh. The epic was composed on clay tablets, and provide an excellent glimpse into
"the values and aspirations of the people of Sumer" (Greer 17), as represented by King Gilgamesh of Uruk. It is also an excellent historical tool which can be utilized
in unearthing Sumers political past, in its exploration of the role of kingship, and the importance of a governmental body referred to as the Council of Elders. The
kingship was at the central core of the Sumerian civilization. There is a distinct sense of the divinity of kings conveyed throughout Epic of Gilgamesh. While Gilgamesh would
remain a mortal man, despite his continued efforts to become immortal, he would have powers which exceeded those of the common man. As explained in the tablets prologue, "Who
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