Summary
A comparison of the epic of Gilgameš with the Greek story of Theseus and the Minotaur suggests a potential linkage.
Text
A close examination of the Babylonian Gilgameš Epic and the Greek myth of Theseus with the Minotaur tempt us to suggest a possible correspondence. Certain aspects of the Gilgameš story are paralleled with meaningful variation within the story lines of Theseus.
On face value, these two myths transmit two completely different stories with a completely different cast of protagonists. If one was to look at Theseus with soft eyes though, one would find the Land of Eternal Darkness of Gilgameš presented as the dark passage ways of the Labyrinth, which incidentally has retained its mystic all the way to our present times. There are also suggestions connecting the entrails on the face of the feared Humbaba to that same Labyrinth. Then there is the more obvious connection of the Bull of Heaven to the Minotaur, or the matter of the divine parentage of both male protagonists by a god and a mortal woman.
Furthermore, Ariadne could very well represent Ištar, but with an interesting variant. In Gilgameš, the hero chose to scorn her and paid the price by being forced to face the wrath of the Bull of Heaven, resulting in the loss of his best friend, Enkidu. This loss provided Gilgameš with the impetus to undertake his grand quest: to traverse the Eternal Darkness and reach the lands beyond, where he would eventually fail. Theseus on the other hand chose a different path: he walked the Labyrinth and faced the monster, but first he wisely embraced the advances by the smitten female protagonist, Ariadne. He opened his heart to her, in stark difference to Gilgameš who scorned Ištar. As a result, the hero was rewarded by her with the tools to defeat both the Minotaur and the complexity of the Labyrinth. Only then was Theseus enabled to accomplish his task properly, in contrast to the earlier attempt by Gilgameš. Ariadne was the true key to the success Thesseus enjoyed, while Ištar was the hidden key of doom in the Gilgameš Epic.
As explained, these storylines do not blindly duplicate one another, but artfully build on each other, attempting to transmit an evolving message – not a static one. In this manner, we can now review these specific myths with a brand new philosophical perspective that extends beyond cultural diffusion.
Certain similarities are also observed by comparing the iconography of an Attic amphora from ca. 540 BCE currently at the Louvre, which bears resemblance to an Neo-Assyrian Gilgameš cylinder seal from the 7th century BCE.
Bibliography
| Sopasakis 2007 | Sopasakis, George. The Thread of Ariadne. The sword of consciousness. Coral Springs FL: Llumina Press 2007. |
George Sopasakis
URL for this entry: http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/database/gen_html/a0001559.php
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