Similarities Between Gilgamesh And Odysseus

Qualities of the Hero: Comparing Gilgamesh and Odysseus
Introduction
Gilgamesh and Odysseus are leaders in the Uruk and Ithaca communities respectively. The two leaders are heroes in their society who constantly defend their people against external aggression. Although the two heroes defend their communities against external attacks, their leadership styles and approach to situations differ significantly. For instance, Gilgamesh is oppressive and is not liked by the people whereas Odysseus is liked and cares for the people. Gilgamesh goes to fight for self-gratification whereas Odysseus fights for genuine welfare of the people. Odysseus is witty in his manners whereas Gilgamesh relies only on physical strength. The story of both heroes show

that the Greek leadership cared for the people and relied on gods for help whereas the Mesopotamian leadership was oppressive and considered gods as their enemies, since the cultural ideals of both societies were influenced by the leadership.
Gilgamesh and Odysseus Compared
Bravery and Courage
Gilgamesh and Odyssey are both heroes in their society.

They are warriors who defend their societies against violent attacks. They are both courageous individuals who are ready to face danger on behalf of their community. Gilgamesh confidently decided to face Humbaba, the evil monster who guarded the cedar forest with the help of his friend Enkidu.Humbaba was a big threat to the Uruk society since he used to attack and kill the residents for coming close to the forest. Gilgamesh was brave enough to decide attacking Humbaba (Carnahan). Similarly, Odysseus was a brave warrior who led his troops in the Trojan war and other adventures including on the isle where the cyclops lived. Odyssey was brave enough to lead a group of twelve warriors to face Polyphemusin his cave

(Murray).
Even though the two leaders are brave, Odysseus was more cunning than Gilgamesh since the former tricked Polyphemus by giving him wine until the giant was drunk and fell asleep(Pontani 42). It was then that Odysseus proceeded to pierce Polyphemus’ eye. He also devised a plan to escape from the giant’s cave by making his men hold on to the flock so that Polyphemus did not notice their exit from the cave(Murray). Conversely, Gilgamesh did not approach Humbaba cunningly and had no special tricks that couldmake it easy for them to deal with Humbaba easily (Carnahan).Gilgamesh faced Humbaba straight making it clear that he wanted to fight. Although both of the leaders were brave, they were extremely scared of facing the monsters.
Differences between Ancient Mesopotamian and Greek Cultures in their Ideals and Expectations
Despite the similarities between the context in the epics of Gilgamesh and Odysseus, there are significant differences in the cultural context of both societies.The Greek used to travel to many places in pursuit for knowledge about natural mysteries.They were superstitious and believed that everything is controlled by the gods. For instance, when Odyssey and his men were threatened by Polyphemus, they pleaded with him that Zeus their god requires that people should be welcoming to strangers (Murray). The Greek community was superstitious and respectedstrangers. The fear of Zeus was so great among the Greek that the sailors never resorted to violence as a first option when they met strangers unless when they were attacked. The strangers who they met were mostly welcoming since they gave the men food including lotus.
The Uruk society that Gilgamesh ruled over was also superstitious and believed in the existence of gods. However, the community was largely violent and war was the means of solving issues within the society and against their enemies. In particular, Gilgamesh was violent even to the residents and went to warfor self-gratification.This shows that the Mesopotamian leadership was violent and exploitative to their subjects. They also believed the gods to be their enemies since the gods did not want mankind to go to certain places such as the cedar forest. Conversely, the Greek leadership respected and protected their subjects as can be seen from the way Odysseus did everything for the sake of the people. They believed that the gods were on their side and defended them against natural disasters such as storms and attacks.
Ways that Current Cultural Ideals and Expectations Shape Modern Notions about Role Models and Heroes
Role models and heroes are seen as people who guide or give directions to the society since they possess ideal virtues.

Virtues seen in heroes such as strength and wit are admirable by the society, and people tend to emulate the good virtues seen among the heroes and models.In many societies, people are expected to emulate good virtues seen among the heroes since the virtues contribute to success in different aspects of life such as the economy and security in terms of war. Cultural ideals are set on high standards in which people are expected to behave in exceptional ways such as bravery and courage, good-natured, and clever(Rodriguez 49). Odysseus and Gilgamesh possess such virtues that set a standard that the rest of the society should emulate, and the virtues are passed from one generation to the next. Superstition is one of the cultural ideals that are transferred from one generation to another and the belief in supreme beings is reinforced among generations by models who are spiritual or religious leaders (Lawson

60).
Conclusion
Gilgamesh and Odysseus were both leaders and heroes in their communities. Gilgamesh was oppressive, and relied on his physical strength to fight whereas Odysseus worked hard to protect his people, and was loved. However, he was wittier than Gilgamesh and relied on his wisdom in his wars. The heroes were models who helped to shape cultural practices in the two communities. The Greek leadership cared more about the subjects than the Mesopotamian leadership since the leadership practices are transferred from previous generations to the next.