Gilgamesh focuses on the eponymous hero of the world's oldest epic and his legendary adventures. However, it also goes further and examines the significance of the story's Ancient Near Eastern context, and what it tells us about notions of kingship, animality, and the natures of mortality and immortality. In this volume, Louise M. Pryke provides a unique perspective to consider many foundational aspects of Mesopotamian life, such as the significance of love and family, the conceptualisation of life and death, and the role of religious observance. The final chapter assesses the powerful influence of Gilgamesh on later works of ancient literature, from the Hebrew Bible, to the Odyssey, to The Tales of the Arabian Nights, and his reception through to the modern era. Gilgamesh is an invaluable tool for anyone seeking to understand this fascinating figure, and more broadly, the relevance of Near Eastern myth in the classical world and beyond.

Gilgamesh focuses on the eponymous hero of the world's oldest epic and his legendary adventures. However, it also goes further and examines the significance of the story's Ancient Near Eastern context, and what it tells us about notions of kingship, animality, and the natures of mortality and immortality. In this volume, Louise M. Pryke provides a unique perspective to consider many foundational aspects of Mesopotamian life, such as the significance of love and family, the conceptualisation of life and death, and the role of religious observance. The final chapter assesses the powerful influence of Gilgamesh on later works of ancient literature, from the Hebrew Bible, to the Odyssey, to The Tales of the Arabian Nights, and his reception through to the modern era. Gilgamesh is an invaluable tool for anyone seeking to understand this fascinating figure, and more broadly, the relevance of Near Eastern myth in the classical world and beyond.

By turns creative and destructive, wind spreads seeds, fills sails and disperses the energy of the sun. Worshipped since antiquity, wind has moulded planets, decided the outcome of innumerable battles and shaped the evolution of humans and animals – yet it remains intangible and unpredictable. In this book Louise M. Pryke explores the science behind wind, as well as how it has been imagined and portrayed in myth, religion, art and literature since ancient times. Its formative effect on the Earth’s environment is reflected in its prominent role in myths and religions of antiquity. In the modern day, wind has inspired ground-breaking scientific innovations, and appeared in artistic works as diverse as the art of Van Gogh, the poetry of Keats and the blockbuster film Twister.

As ancient creatures that once shared the Earth with dinosaurs, turtles have played a crucial role in maintaining healthy terrestrial and marine ecosystems for more than one hundred million years. While it may not set records for speed on land, the turtle is exceptional at distance swimming and deep diving, and some are gifted with astounding longevity. In human thought, the animal's ties to creativity, wisdom, and warfare stretch back to the world's earliest written records. In Turtle, Louise M. Pryke celebrates the slow and unassuming manner of this doughty creature, which provides a living model of endurance and efficiency. In the increasingly fast-paced world of the twenty-first century, it has never been more important to consider the natural and cultural history of this remarkable animal.

From the dawn of civilization scorpions have captured the human imagination. Yet the scorpion is a misunderstood animal with a bad reputation that overshadows its many exceptional qualities. Older than dinosaurs, these small arthropods have survived for hundreds of millions of years with very few changes to their form, populating every continent - with the exception of Antarctica. Although humans and scorpions have coexisted for thousands of years, the image of the scorpion retains a sense of danger and mystery. This book explores the diverse cultural symbolism of scorpions, from prehistoric times until today.