Literature of Ancient Iraq

Introduction to rich and varied compositions surviving from ancient Mesopotamia (Iraq) and beyond, including selected myths, epics, hymns, prayers, rituals, oracles, elegiac poetry, fables, proverbs, riddles, debates and more. We will consider what they can tell us about people’s lives and values in ancient times and the processes by which written knowledge was preserved and passed on, where the texts were collected and how they come to be scattered in museums. The definition of “literature” adopted in this course considers aesthetic intent but also the subjects (e.g. love, death, heroism, gods) and forms of writing meaningful to an ancient audience.