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To begin at the beginning . . . The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest known recorded poems, arguably the first example of literature in human history. Written as early as 2700 BCE in Mesopotamia, even today it is incredibly fresh and relevant in its attempt to understand the human condition. Gilgamesh is the most famous man of his day, the greatest king, the brightest star of his ciliization. He has built the great walls of Uruk (the first city), he has conqured monsters, he has tamed the wild man Enkidu and made him his friend, he has made love to a goddess. Yet he still must confront death, and asks the gods, “Is this all that life is? Must I now die and turn to dust?” He seeks immortality, and finds that it cannot be grasped. Instead he finds that to be human is to accept death, and the limits of mortality.  This is moira, the limiting fate the Greeks recognized. To seek more is hubris.