Video Lecture Reading – Mesopotamia.pdf
Outside Video – Please watch the first ten minutes of the video above on the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Section1
Artwork gives us many insights into the way that ancient Sumerians viewed the world. Start with Sumerian votive figures (these are discussed in your reading for the week). What purpose did these figures serve? Use specific visual details to support your answer. What do these figures suggest about the relationship between humans and their gods? Next turn your attention to the Standard of Ur, one of the great masterpieces of ancient Sumerian art. Based on your observations, what sort of image does the Standard of Ur construct of ideal kingship? How does the standard of Ur represent the king? What must a good king do? What obligations does a king owe to his people? Use specific visual evidence!
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story of a king who does not serve his people well and displeases the gods. How does this notion reinforce the relationship between humans and the gods suggested by the votive figures? What happens to Gilgamesh as a result of his bad practices? Name the piece of art described in the lecture that reflects imagery from the Epic of Gilgamesh? Using what you know about the Epic of Gilgamesh, describe one example from your own experience of how the Gilgamesh story resonates in later literature or contemporary popular culture. Section 2
What purpose did these [votive] figures serve? Use specific details to support your answer. What relationship do these figures suggest about the relationship between humans and their gods? DO NOT WRITE NEW MATERIAL–THIS SHOULD BE COPIED AND PASTED DIRECTLY FROM SECTION 1.