Defining the Epic Hero Clearly defined in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Aeneid, and the Ramayana are the indispensable traits required of an epic hero. Through these works, each epic hero undergoes a series of particular events that illustrate the essential traits of being an epic hero: being a great warrior, piety, and knowledge. The first defining quality of an epic hero, illustrated through multiple characters, is his ability to triumph in war. An example where great deeds and divine deeds are prominent is in the Epic of Gilgamesh, when Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. Gilgamesh and Enkidu manage to prevail over the “mouth [that is] fire of Humbaba; its roar [which is] the water of the flood; [and] hisThe first example of this trait appears in The Epic of Gilgamesh. Over the course of the epic, Gilgamesh becomes more knowledgeable. Utanapishtim tells Gilgamesh: “No one can see death, no one can see the face of death, no one can hear the voice of death, and yet there is a savage death that breaks humanity. . . The face that could look at the face of the Sun never existed. (The Epic of Gilgamesh) At this point in the epic, Utanapishtim is explaining to Gilgamesh the nature of death. The significance of this situation is that Gilgamesh is becoming more knowledgeable by broadening his perspective, therefore making him a greater epic hero. Another example of a skilled epic hero is Aeneas in the Aeneid. In the epic Aeneas deviates from his destiny and falls madly in love with Dido. With Jupiter's help, Aeneas realizes his mistake and how he has lost sight of his destiny to found a new city, so he leaves. This shows that Aeneas is knowledgeable enough to know that leaving Dido to follow his destiny will ultimately lead to his duty to found a new city. The ultimate example of an expert epic hero is Rama from the Ramayana. Rama is known to be knowledgeable due to the time he spent with the sage Viswamithra. During Rama's time spent with Sage Viswamithra, Sage Viswamithra enlightens Rama with many stories including: The Story of Thaka, The Story of Mahbali, The Story of Ganga and The Story of Ahalya. Through these stories, Rama becomes more knowledgeable and also a greater epic hero. To conclude, all these epic heroes share the characteristic of