Answer:
Gilgamesh was a king of Uruk (c. 2700 B.C.) His legend is described in an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia - "Epic of Gilgamesh." The term "epic" stands for a long poem about a hero.
An epic hero is a courageous hero from an epic poem. There are multiple reasons why Gilgamesh fits into the concept of an epic hero. First of all - he is two parts god. Epic heroes usually possess supernatural qualities. At the very beginning of the epic, the narrator lists Gilgamesh's virtues and reveals that he is two-thirds god and one-third man. This revelation prepares the readers for Gilgamesh's accomplishments and introduces him as a true hero. Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu will fight all sorts of supernatural creatures - they will kill Humbaba, the guardian of a forest where the Gods live, as well as the Wild Bull of Heaven.
As an epic hero is always charged with a quest, in Gilgamesh's example, his quest is to find immortality. Gilgamesh loses his friend, which motivates him to begin this quest. He goes into the twelve leagues of darkness: <em>"At the end of five leagues, the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him....." </em>Gilgamesh succeeds in his mission when he meets Utnapishtim the Faraway who presents him with a herb of immortality. However, a serpent steals it.
