Who was Gilgamesh, the hero of ancient Mesopotamian mythology?

Gilgamesh was a hero in ancient Mesopotamian mythology and the protagonist of the 'Epic of Gilgamesh', an epic poem written in Akkadian during the late 2nd millennium BC. He was possibly a historical king of the Sumerian city-state of Uruk, who was posthumously deified.

His rule probably would have taken place sometime in the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia), c. 2900 – 2350 BC, though he became a major figure in Sumerian legend during the Third Dynasty of Ur (c. 2112 – c. 2004 BC).

Most classical historians agree the 'Epic of Gilgamesh' exerted substantial influence on the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey', two epic poems written in ancient Greek during the 8th century BC.

The 'Epic of Gilgamesh' was rediscovered in the Library of Ashurbanipal in 1849. After being translated in the early 1870s, it caused widespread controversy due to similarities between portions of it and the Hebrew Bible. Gilgamesh remained mostly obscure until the mid-20th century, but, since the late 20th century, he has become an increasingly prominent figure in modern culture.