French Literature Reviews - 2026

W. Sallaberger, Das Gilgamesch-Epos. Mythos, Werk und Tradition
Comparative and World Literature

Walther Sallaberger, Das Gilgamesch-Epos. Mythos, Werk und Tradition, C.H.Beck, "Wissen" series No. 2443, February 2008, 128 pp.
ISBN (EAN13): 978-3-406-56243-3
€7.90

Review by Mehmet-Ali Ataç (Bryn Mawr College) in Bryn Mawr Classical Review: 2008.08.21

Publisher's description:

This book provides an overview of the content of the Epic of Gilgamesh, introduces the cultural environment in which this oldest work of world literature emerged, explains the legend, its historical aspects, and its protagonists, and offers information on its dissemination, literary form, anthropological aspects, and reception history.

With the Epic of Gilgamesh, Walther Sallaberger presents a major work of world literature dealing with the fundamental questions of human existence. In an accessible introduction, he explains the myth of King Gilgamesh of Uruk and, against the backdrop of Gilgamesh traditions traceable over two and a half millennia, offers an engaging overview of the intellectual history, literature, and culture of Mesopotamia.

As one of the foundational narratives of world literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh occupies a central place in the study of ancient Near Eastern cultures and early literary traditions. The text reflects the complex intellectual history and mythological frameworks of Mesopotamia, where scribal traditions preserved stories of heroes, gods, and kings across millennia. Scholars of comparative literature and ancient studies often examine such epics to understand how early civilizations articulated fundamental concerns regarding mortality, power, and community through verse and prose narratives.

Walther Sallaberger's book provides an overview of the content of the Epic of Gilgamesh, introduces the cultural environment in which this oldest work of world literature emerged, explains the legend, its historical aspects, and its protagonists, and offers information on its dissemination, literary form, anthropological aspects, and reception history. Readers interested in ancient mythology, Near Eastern history, and the development of early narrative traditions may find this volume a useful entry point into the subject.