A Tour of Stories
The Odyssey and The Epic
The gods are the most powerful and dangerous to the mortals. Gilgamesh and Odysseus were reminded by the gods that they were still mortal.
“Where is the man who can clamber to heaven? Only the gods live for ever with glorious Shamash, but as for us men, our days are numbered, our occupations are a breath of wind.
Penelope tells Odysseus, “Men’s lives are short.”
The underlying theme is the mortality of man and what it means to die.
Odysseus Fights the Cyclops
Odysseus has a long encounter with the Cyclops.
The gods
Both stories clearly define man’s distinction from the gods, in that men are mortal while the gods are not. “The father of the gods has given you kingship, such is your destiny, everlasting life is not your destiny.”
Gilgamesh and Enkidu
In both The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey, every man knows that he must eventually die, but there are loopholes. With the assistance of the gods, life can be extended.
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