Gilgamesh and his Love for Enkidu

Thanks to discoveries by modern archaeologists it appears that in the past, same-sex relationships were totally accepted and were even the source of great writings. From the old epic poem depicting the love and loyalty between two men to the mastaba (a flat-roofed, rectangular building used for the burial of eminent Egyptians) in Sakkara where two men were buried together after living under the same roof, it can be understood that in ancient civilizations the love between two men or two women was not a scandal and in some situations was even expected and encouraged.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu

According to an ancient epic poem, the Sumerian king Gilgamesh –who was thought to have ruled in the 27th century BC– and the giant Enkidu developed an intimate friendship that lasted even after Enkidu’s death.

Gilgamesh could not accept his friend’s death and embarked in a dangerous adventure to find a legendary flower which was supposed to give eternal life, in order to bring back Enkidu from the Netherworld.

This story reflects the character of the Sumerians who gave more importance to art, culture and the development of writing than to warfare. The story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu showed Sumerians that loyalty and love are worth much more than power.

The Brothers

The text “Niankh-Khnum-Hotep” means “joined in life and death” and appears in an Ancient Egyptian joint-tomb in Sakkara dated 2,600 BC which depicts two men who were buried together. Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep were both manicurists in the palace of Pharaoh Niuserre. Ahmed Moussa was the archaeologist who found the tomb in 1964 and called it “The Brothers”.

Other discoveries of artistic representations depicting the two men were made: both men embracing each other, holding hands and at a banquet together where one of them was holding a lotus which at that time was only done by women. Other tombs where siblings were buried together were studied by Moussa and they showed no depiction of siblings touching one another. It was after these comparisons were made that it became clear that the archaeologists were witnessing the first artistic representation of a same-sex couple who had also been buried together.

Rome and Greece

Both ancient civilizations are full of examples where the sexual relationship between two men was not only accepted but also encouraged. In Greece there were two kinds of this type of sexual encounter. On one hand adult men visited brothels in order to have sexual intercourse with women or young men and on the other hand adult men took the responsibility of teaching younger ones. This teaching also had sexual connotations. All the Greek philosophers that are studied and admired today went through this kind of relationship, which was totally accepted.

Rome on the other hand was not interested in the Greek model. Romans were more interested in men being dominant and without personal or sexual weaknesses. Patrician men were allowed to sexually abuse their young slaves but only as a show of dominance. With the arrival of the Empire, politicians and rulers allowed themselves to practise the “Greek vice” while for the normal citizen it was still a crime. Tellingly it was said of Julius Caesar that he was “the wife of all husbands and the husband of all wives”.

References:

Tournier, Paul. Los gays en la historia, Ediciones Robinbook, s.l. 2004. Translation from French by Ernesto Frers.

the Brothers

The Brothers

Gilgamesh tablet

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