The Epic of Gilgamesh

"The Epic of Gilgamesh" is one of the oldest works of fiction, written long before Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey," the greatest literary masterpiece of the ancient East, in which the myth of the Great Flood is described for the first time. Before the reader unfolds the story of the glorious deeds of the demigod warrior-king Gilgamesh (the basis of his image is a real historical figure, the king of the city of Uruk, Bilgames), and his first rival, and later brother-in-arms Enkidu. It tells of their expedition against the ruler of the mountains of Lebanon, the monster Humbaba, and Gilgamesh's journey to the land of the dead to the goddess Siduri and the forefather Utnapishtim for the flower of immortality.In this edition, the Epic is published in a restored translation by I. Dyakonov with detailed notes.