The epic of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, and the Iliad, with its focus on the menis of Achilles, provide a look at heroic life and its relationship with death and immortality. ... Enkidu does develop more than Patroclus, and this may mean that he is a more complex character, or it may mean that the background and character of Patroclus was simply well-known in the epic tradition and the necessity to explicitly develop him in the Iliad which is extant did not exist. ...

• Word Count: 4256
• Approx Pages: 17
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate