Sidori's advice to Gilgamesh
After Gilgamesh failed to recover the plant of immortality, he received some advice from Sidori, the owner of the inn, and she told him:
?Gilgamesh, where are you going
The life you are looking for you will never find.
When the gods created humans,
They appointed death for humans;
They took life into their own hands.
Gilgamesh, may your belly be filled.
Enjoy yourself day and night.
Every day enjoy dancing and playing.
Let your clothes be clean.
Let your head wash.
Bath in water.
Look at the little boy holding your hand.
Let the wife enjoy your frequent hugs,
This is the share of men
Part of what the Goddess advises you to do is to surrender, not to keep searching for something that humans were never meant to have
The advice is eat, drink and be happy.
However, she goes further and advises him not only to eat good food, dance, have fun and enjoy life. It doesn't just say "Find your own happiness." It suggests that Gilgamesh should also seek to make his wife happy. He should comfort his children by holding their hands
The end of the story is poignant. Gilgamesh leaves Utnapishtim and returns empty-handed to Uruk. He failed, as he did not bring home the holy cup of immortality.
However, he climbed the wall of Uruk, inspected the foundation terrace, and examined the building well. This was also the work of Gilgamesh, the king who knew the lands of the world.
Some readers are puzzled by this ending, but it makes perfect sense. Humans may not receive physical immortality as a gift. They get a consolation prize. They get a city. They get a civilization. They have to build things that will outlast themselves, things that future generations can enjoy after the first builders are gone
It's a bittersweet consolation prize compared to living forever, but it's a kind of immortality. It's planting trees for future generations, trees under whose shade we sit. This is what makes a good king. This is what makes a good man. This is what transforms Gilgamesh from the tyrant and braggart at the beginning of the novel into a hero worthy of reverence at the end.
Therefore, we do not find the Epic of Gilgamesh strange at all, as we are living it today. Whoever does good, provides services to his people, takes care of his family, helps the poor, and is just, kind, and harmless will remain immortal.
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