In the Epic of Gilgamesh, what fraction divine is Gilgamesh described as being?

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is described as two-thirds divine.

The poem presents Gilgamesh as the extraordinary king of Uruk, combining a divine parentage with human mortality. His mother is the goddess Ninsun, while his father is identified in different traditions as the mortal king Lugalbanda. This mixed nature helps explain both his exceptional strength and his eventual fear of death.

The two-thirds formula belongs to the literary tradition of the epic rather than to a biological calculation. It emphasizes that Gilgamesh stands between gods and humans. He is powerful enough to challenge supernatural beings, yet he cannot escape the human condition after Enkidu dies.

Readers sometimes confuse this description with Gilgamesh’s royal ancestry or with later retellings that simply call him a demigod. The epic’s specific wording is more precise: he is two-thirds divine and one-third human. That contrast drives the poem’s central search for meaning and lasting fame.