Gilgamesh #2

The Epic of Gilgamesh can be compared to an article in the New York Times, Gates to Meet With Russian Defense Minister Serdyukov, by Gates representing Gilgamesh and Serdyukov as Enkidu. During the Cold War Gates and Serdyukov were adversaries, now they are finally beginning to see eye to eye. This relationship is similar to the one between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, they start out as enemies and eventually become friends. The Epic of Gilgamesh says, “They grappled with each other at the entry to the marital chamber, in the street they attacked each other, the public square of the land. The doorsteps trembled and the wall shook. … They kissed each other and became friends.” (66-67) This shows how the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu quickly changes from foes to friends. Another comparison would be how Serdyukov does not have a lot of experience in the military, just as Enkidu came from the wild and did not have much experience with slaying. The New York Time states that Serdyukov “had more experience in the furniture industry than with the military,” likewise Enkidu lived with the animals before he met Gilgamesh and ventured out to slay Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. Also, Enkidu slaying Humbaba resembles Serdyukov’s goal of reducing the size of his military and changing to a streamline command structure. In both of these situations both, Enkidu and Serdyukov, are doing, or have done, something that differs from what they would have done in the past. Lastly, the New York Times states, “’The entire military hates him, and that is not an overstatement,’ said Aleksandr Golts, an independent military analyst in Moscow. ‘That which Serdyukov is doing is a challenge to the Russian military culture as a whole, the culture that is based upon the idea of a mass-mobilization army starting with Peter the Great,’” this shows that Serdyukov’s military does not agree with his new plan to alter the Russian army. Which is similar to how the God’s felt about Enkidu after he killed Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. Enkidu was created to stand up to Gilgamesh not befriend him, this happening angered the God’s. These comparisons show how similar the situation between Gates and Serdyukov is to Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Epic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/world/europe/15military.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=gates%20and%20russian%20counterpart&st=cse