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Quizzes > Literature & Language > Books & Literature

How Well Do You Know Gilgamesh? Take the Quiz!

Think you can ace this Epic of Gilgamesh trivia? Start the Gilgamesh knowledge test now!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration showing Gilgamesh hero, flood scene, cuneiform tablets and quiz text on sky blue background

This Gilgamesh quiz helps you check what you know about the Epic of Gilgamesh and ancient Mesopotamia in 40 quick questions. Play at your own pace, spot gaps before class or an exam, and pick up new facts as you go. Want more practice? Try our Epic of Gilgamesh practice and Ancient Mesopotamia review.

Who is the central character of the Epic of Gilgamesh?
Gilgamesh
Siduri
Utnapishtim
Enkidu
The epic centers on Gilgamesh, the legendary king of Uruk, and his adventures and quest for immortality. He forms a deep friendship with Enkidu and confronts his own mortality through divine encounters. His name appears in both Sumerian and Akkadian literary traditions as the protagonist.
In which ancient civilization did the Epic of Gilgamesh originate?
Assyrian
Sumerian
Hittite
Babylonian
The earliest versions of Gilgamesh stories come from Sumerian poems dating to the early third millennium BCE. These Sumerian tales were later collected and translated into Akkadian for the Babylonian Standard version. The Sumerians of southern Mesopotamia first immortalized Gilgamesh in their own language and script.
What was the primary writing system used to record the Epic of Gilgamesh?
Cuneiform
Alphabetic script
Hieroglyphics
Pictographs
Mesopotamian scribes used cuneiform, a wedge-shaped script impressed on clay tablets, to write the Epic of Gilgamesh in both Sumerian and Akkadian. This writing system evolved from pictographs into complex signs that represented sounds and ideas. The durability of baked clay has allowed many tablets to survive millennia.
Which city is most closely associated with Gilgamesh's kingship?
Nippur
Babylon
Uruk
Ur
Gilgamesh is traditionally described as the fifth king of Uruk, a major Sumerian city. The epic frequently praises the grand walls and temples he built there. Archaeological ruins of Uruk in modern Iraq are linked to his legendary reign.
Which wild man becomes Gilgamesh's close friend?
Enkidu
Utnapishtim
Humbaba
Siduri
Enkidu is created by the gods as a counterpart to Gilgamesh and lives in the wild before meeting him. Their initial confrontation turns into a deep bond that drives the epic's narrative. Enkidu's death profoundly affects Gilgamesh and spurs the quest for immortality.
Who is the goddess of love who proposes marriage to Gilgamesh?
Inanna
Ninsun
Ishtar
Ereshkigal
In Akkadian tradition, the goddess Ishtar (Sumerian Inanna) offers love to Gilgamesh, but he rejects her advances. Insulted, she sends the Bull of Heaven to punish him. Her interaction highlights divine-human relationships in Mesopotamian myth.
What role does Shamhat play in the epic?
Goddess of wisdom
Mother of Enkidu
Temple prostitute who civilizes Enkidu
Divine warrior
Shamhat, a temple prostitute, is tasked with luring Enkidu from the wild into civilization. Through six days and seven nights with her, Enkidu gains human traits and loses his wild vigor. She represents the civilizing power of human culture.
Who survives the great flood and grants Gilgamesh the secret of immortality?
Enkidu
Siduri
Utnapishtim
Humbaba
Utnapishtim, a distant descendant of Enki, is granted immortality by the gods after surviving a divine flood. Gilgamesh seeks him out to learn the secret of eternal life. Utnapishtim recounts the flood story and tests Gilgamesh's resolve.
What is the name of Gilgamesh's mother?
Siduri
Ninsun
Ereshkigal
Tiamat
Ninsun is a minor goddess known as the Lady of the Wild Cows and Gilgamesh's divine mother. She interprets his dreams and prays to Shamash on his behalf. Her divine status underscores Gilgamesh's two-thirds godly lineage.
Where were many of the surviving tablets of the epic discovered?
Nineveh
Babylon
Thebes
Ur
Clay tablets containing the Standard Babylonian version were excavated in the 1850s at Nineveh, the site of Ashurbanipal's library. This find provided most of the text we have today. The British Museum now houses many of these tablets.
In what language is the Standard version of the epic written?
Hittite
Sumerian
Aramaic
Akkadian
The so-called Standard Babylonian version was composed in Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian around the 7th century BCE. It unified earlier Sumerian and Akkadian fragments into a coherent twelve-tablet epic. Akkadian was the lingua franca of Mesopotamia at that time.
How many tablets comprise the Standard Babylonian version of the epic?
14
8
12
10
The Standard Babylonian version of Gilgamesh is preserved on twelve clay tablets. Tablets I - X describe Gilgamesh's exploits; Tablet XI recounts the flood; Tablet XII is an Akkadian translation of a Sumerian poem. This twelve-tablet structure is what most modern translations follow.
Who is the monstrous guardian of the Cedar Forest that Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat?
Pazuzu
Humbaba
Tiamat
Anzu
Humbaba (also rendered Huwawa) is appointed by Enlil as the guardian of the Cedar Forest. Gilgamesh and Enkidu journey there to cut sacred timber and slay him, defying a divine protector. Their victory marks the first great heroic feat in the epic.
What gift of rejuvenation does Utnapishtim tell Gilgamesh about?
Golden crown
Winged sandals
Plant of eternal youth
Immortal sword
Utnapishtim reveals that a special plant at the bottom of the sea can restore youth. Gilgamesh retrieves this plant but loses it when a snake steals it. This episode underscores the theme of human fallibility.
Which tavern-keeper advises Gilgamesh to abandon his quest for immortality?
Ninsun
Ishtar
Siduri
Shamash
Siduri, a wine-maker by the sea, counsels Gilgamesh to accept his mortality and enjoy human pleasures. Her advice highlights the epic's moral that life's simple joys are a gift from the gods. Despite her warnings, Gilgamesh presses on to find Utnapishtim.
Which creature steals the plant of youth from Gilgamesh?
Scorpion man
Eagle
Snake
Bull of Heaven
After Gilgamesh obtains the rejuvenating plant, a serpent sloughs its skin and escapes with it. This symbolizes cyclical renewal and human inability to achieve eternal life. The theft leaves Gilgamesh to return home empty-handed.
Who first published the Akkadian flood tablet of Gilgamesh in English?
Leonard Woolley
George Smith
Austen Henry Layard
Henry Rawlinson
In 1872, British Assyriologist George Smith presented and translated the flood tablet from Nineveh in a lecture to the Society of Biblical Archaeology. His discovery linked Mesopotamian flood stories to the Biblical narrative. This was a landmark moment in Assyriology.
Which goddess acts as Gilgamesh's mentor and protector, interpreting his dreams?
Shamash
Ishtar
Siduri
Ninsun
Ninsun, Gilgamesh's mother, interprets his complex dreams and prays to Shamash for his safety. Her divine insight guides him before major episodes, such as the journey to the Cedar Forest. She represents maternal wisdom in the epic.
What is the name of the twin-peaked mountain Gilgamesh passes on his journey?
Zagros
Ararat
Mashu
Taurus
Gilgamesh and Enkidu travel through the twin-peaked Mount Mashu, which houses the tunnel through which the sun god Shamash travels. The passage is guarded by scorpion-men. This mountain marks the boundary between the known world and the realm of Utnapishtim.
On which tablet does Enkidu's death occur?
Tablet XI
Tablet VII
Tablet IX
Tablet V
Enkidu's fatal illness and death are recounted in Tablet VII of the Standard Babylonian version. His demise profoundly affects Gilgamesh and triggers the search for immortality. The account demonstrates the unforgiving decrees of the gods.
Who is the sun god that aids Gilgamesh during his quests?
Nergal
Enki
Enlil
Shamash
Shamash, the Akkadian sun god, provides divine guidance and assistance to Gilgamesh, especially during the battle with Humbaba. Gilgamesh and Enkidu appeal to him through prayers and offerings. Shamash's favor is crucial to their victories.
What does Gilgamesh ultimately fail to obtain for himself?
Strength
Wisdom
Immortality
Kingdom of Uruk
Despite his heroic feats and quest to meet Utnapishtim, Gilgamesh loses the plant of youth and accepts that humans cannot escape death. This failure underscores the epic's theme of human mortality and the value of accepting one's fate. He returns to Uruk with renewed perspective rather than immortality.
What is Gilgamesh's parentage according to the epic?
Son of Enkidu and Siduri
Son of Enlil and Ninsun
Son of Lugalbanda and Ninsun
Son of Anu and Ereshkigal
Gilgamesh is described as the son of the mortal King Lugalbanda and the goddess Ninsun. This lineage makes him two-thirds divine and one-third human. Such genealogy explains both his incredible prowess and his human vulnerability.
In which king's library were the Akkadian tablets of Gilgamesh discovered in the 19th century?
Nebuchadnezzar II
Sargon II
Ashurbanipal
Hammurabi
The clay tablets were uncovered at Nineveh in the ruins of King Ashurbanipal's royal library in the mid-1850s. Ashurbanipal collected these texts as part of a broader program of cultural preservation. Their discovery yielded key insights into Mesopotamian literature.
What is the name of the storm-bull sent by Ishtar to punish Gilgamesh?
Pazuzu
Lamassu
Bull of Heaven
Tiamat
In retaliation for Gilgamesh's rejection, Ishtar unleashes the Bull of Heaven to ravage Uruk. Gilgamesh and Enkidu together slay this divine creature. This act leads to the gods decreeing Enkidu's death as punishment.
The Cedar Forest is located in which region according to the epic?
Anatolia
Lebanon
Zagros Mountains
Sinai Peninsula
Mesopotamian texts describe the Cedar Forest as lying in the Lebanon mountains. Gilgamesh and Enkidu travel west from Mesopotamia to confront Humbaba there. The forest's cedar timber was prized for temple construction.
What is the epic's Akkadian title often translated as "He Who Saw the Deep"?
Epic of Gilgamesh
Ša naqba ?muru
Ilu awilum
Shutur eli šarr?
The Akkadian incipit "šutum šamê ša gilgameš…" literally means "He who saw the Deep." It emphasizes Gilgamesh's visionary wisdom and epic scope. This title appears in the prologue of the Standard Babylonian version.
The character Huwawa is an alternate name for which epic guardian?
Tiamat
Pazuzu
Anzu
Humbaba
Huwawa is simply another rendering of the Akkadian name Humbaba. He serves as the monstrous guardian of the Cedar Forest. Different transliterations of cuneiform yield both Huwawa and Humbaba in modern texts.
What role does Ea (Enki) play in the flood narrative within Gilgamesh?
Sends the flood to punish humans
Warns Utnapishtim about the flood
Guides Gilgamesh to the ark
Creates the ark specifications
Enki (Akkadian Ea) secretly instructs Utnapishtim to build a boat to survive the gods' flood. He ensures Utnapishtim's preservation despite the divine decree. This act distinguishes Enki's role as a benevolent deity of wisdom and craft.
What is the approximate historical period of the Standard Babylonian version?
4th century CE
14th century BCE
18th century BCE
7th century BCE
The Standard Babylonian version was compiled around the 7th century BCE during the Neo-Babylonian period. It drew on older Old Babylonian and Sumerian precursors. This recension became the authoritative text for millennia.
Which language family does Akkadian belong to?
Turkic
Afro-Asiatic
Indo-European
Semitic
Akkadian is a Semitic language, closely related to Eblaite and Amorite, and ancestral to Assyrian and Babylonian dialects. It differs from earlier Sumerian, which is a language isolate. Akkadian used the cuneiform script adapted from Sumerian.
What mythical guardians does Gilgamesh encounter at the tunnel entrance of Mount Mashu?
Anunnaki
Apkallu
Lamassu
Scorpion-men
Scorpion-men guard the twin peaks of Mount Mashu, blocking the tunnel to the sun's rising. They have human torsos and scorpion tails, symbolizing threshold guardians. After questioning Gilgamesh, they permit his passage.
Which goddess is credited with creating Enkidu from clay?
Aruru
Ereshkigal
Ninsun
Ishtar
The goddess Aruru fashions Enkidu out of clay to be a counterbalance to Gilgamesh's strength. Her act brings balance to human affairs. Aruru's creative power highlights the theme of divine intervention.
What is Gilgamesh's divine ratio of lineage according to the epic?
Two-thirds divine and one-third human
One-third divine and two-thirds human
Half divine, half human
Fully divine
The epic explicitly states that Gilgamesh is two-thirds god and one-third man, reflecting his extraordinary abilities and ultimate human vulnerability. This ratio underscores the tension between his heroic feats and mortality. It is a unique genealogical claim in ancient literature.
Which modern scholar produced the most widely cited critical edition of the Standard Babylonian Gilgamesh?
George Smith
Andrew R. George
Samuel Noah Kramer
Leonard Woolley
Andrew R. George published the comprehensive critical edition and English translation of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh in 2003. His work collates all known tablet fragments and provides authoritative commentary. It is the benchmark for contemporary scholarship.
Which earlier Mesopotamian epic shares a nearly identical flood story with Gilgamesh?
Atrahasis Epic
Enuma Elish
Erra Epic
Lament for Ur
The Atrahasis Epic, dating to the Old Babylonian period, contains a flood narrative in which the hero Atrahasis is warned by Enki to build a boat. The similarities with Utnapishtim's account in Gilgamesh are striking and reflect shared Mesopotamian traditions. Comparative study highlights how mythic themes evolved.
In Sumerian tradition, the flood hero equivalent to Utnapishtim is named?
Adapa
Etana
Ziusudra
Noah
Ziusudra is the Sumerian flood hero preserved in the Sumerian King List and the poem "Ziusudra" (also called the Eridu Genesis). His story parallels Utnapishtim's in Gilgamesh and predates it. This shows the deep roots of flood mythology in Mesopotamia.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Key Characters -

    By answering the Gilgamesh quiz questions, readers will recognize major figures such as Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and Ishtar and understand their roles in the epic narrative.

  2. Analyze Plot Developments -

    Participants will examine pivotal events - like the cedar forest journey and the search for immortality - and grasp how they shape the story's progression.

  3. Recall Epic of Gilgamesh Trivia -

    After completing the quiz, users will accurately recall facts and passages from the Epic of Gilgamesh, reinforcing their knowledge through immediate feedback.

  4. Evaluate Historical Context -

    Quiz takers will situate the epic within ancient Mesopotamia's culture, identifying how historical setting influences themes and characters.

  5. Apply Critical Thinking -

    Through challenging Gilgamesh questions and answers, readers will interpret symbolic elements and moral lessons embedded in the text.

  6. Compare Themes Across Myths -

    Engaging with this ancient Mesopotamia quiz enables participants to compare Gilgamesh's themes - such as friendship and mortality - with those in other epic traditions.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Historical Origins and Structure -

    The Epic of Gilgamesh, dating to the early second millennium BCE, is preserved in Akkadian on 12 clay tablets unearthed at Nineveh, making it a cornerstone of any ancient Mesopotamia quiz study. A simple mnemonic - "Twelve Tablets, Twelve Trials" - helps you recall the narrative's arc from Gilgamesh's arrogance to his longing for eternal life.

  2. Key Characters and Roles -

    Gilgamesh, part divine and part human, teams up with Enkidu (whose name means "Lord of Animals") to balance civilization and nature, a fact highlighted in Epic of Gilgamesh trivia across university syllabi. Utnapishtim, the flood survivor, offers Gilgamesh insight into mortality, so remember "U-Never-Past-Itm" as a playful way to connect his name with undying wisdom.

  3. Major Themes and Motifs -

    Friendship, the inevitability of death, and the flood narrative form the backbone of any Gilgamesh knowledge test, reflecting universal human concerns still taught in literature departments today. Use the acronym FMF - Friendship, Mortality, Flood - to trigger recall of each theme when tackling thematic questions.

  4. Literary and Linguistic Features -

    The epic's formulaic repetitions, epithets, and vivid similes illustrate early Akkadian poetic craft, often quizzed in Gilgamesh questions and answers sections. Spot phrases like "vastly wise" describing Gilgamesh to recognize the meter and rhyme patterns scholars discuss in linguistics journals.

  5. Archaeological and Historical Context -

    Discovered in the 19th century at Ashurbanipal's library, the tablets link directly to Sumerian king lists and flood myths, a prime topic in any Gilgamesh quiz on ancient royal historiography. Visualizing the British Museum's exhibit cases can help cement the epic's real-world archaeological backdrop in your mind.

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