His connection to the gods (being two-thirds god and also denying the advances of the goddess Ishtar and eventually slaying her monstrous bull) and the pure scale of his strength and achievements help to put him on the level of the epic hero. He is himself part divine, he interacts with gods and goddesses, and his story involves a series of adventures and superhuman victories. During his adventures, Gilgamesh is on a quest to find the secrets of immortality. Gilgamesh's craftiness and determination allowed him to kill Humbaba and return home. He was a hero because he wasn't afraid to put his own life in jeopardy for the sake of others.
