Gilgamesh and Odysseus were two heroes from two totally different time periods that were both in search of the meaning of life. The epics that the two characters are featured in Gilgamesh, was developed from early Mesopotamia and the Odyssey in early Greece. Gilgamesh was a very popular and it was very valuable to the historian of Mesopotamian culture because it reveals much about the religious world, such as their attitudes toward the gods, how a hero was defined and regarded, views about death and friendship.
The Odyssey was also very popular in it's time. It was set in ancient Greece where in its culture; mythology was the heart of everyday life. The Greek Culture turned to mythology to explain different phenomena for which they had …show more content…

Sometimes there were careful in the decisions they made with the extreme power they possessed, and at other times they were careless.
Gilgamesh and Odysseus had to experience many hardships and make certain mistakes. They seem to find themselves, through life lessons, just like any average man and the fact that Gilgamesh is part god ultimately has no bearing on whether he will live or die. The two heroes are compared as expressions of searches for this meaning of life through knowledge. The two stories are somewhat mirrors of themselves when it comes to that particular theme. In the end, both of our great heroes, Gilgamesh and Odysseus were subject to the same challenges we face today. We all must go through our own trials and tribulations. We must all make our on journeys through life to find out its meaning. While both of the epics contain both fictional aspects, they also reflect historical aspect and situations you can apply to everyday life. With that being said I will leave you with a passage from Gilgamesh.
You will never find that life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted him death, but life they retained in their own keeping. As for you Gilgamesh, fill your bell with things: day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy