How to Cite the "Epic of Gilgamesh"
The “Epic of Gilgamesh” is a classic Babylonian story that is read in most high schools in the country. The “Epic of Gilgamesh” is written in a poetry format and dates back more than 2,000 years. The most common citation styles are the Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) styles. When citing the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” it is important to follow directions for which citation style you are instructed to use.
MLA Citation
Step 1
Type “Anonymous and” and the first and last name of the translator of the specific edition you are using. Since the Epic of Gilgamesh is so old, there is no known author. However, most editions have a translator that should be noted in your citation.
Step 2
Type a period, a space, and “Epic of Gilgamesh” in italics followed by a period.
Step 3
Type the edition number of the specific book you are looking at.
For example, “3rd ed.”
Step 4
Type the name of the city, a comma, and the abbreviation for the state where the book was published.
Step 5
Type a semi-colon, the name of the publishing company, a comma, and the year the book was published.
Step 6
Type a period, the number of pages in the book (for example, 1-250), a period, and the word “Print” to show where you got the source. If you read the book on an eBook reader, you can type “eBook” in place of print.
APA Citation
Step 1
Type “Anonymous &” and the last name and first initial of the translator of the specific edition you are using. Since the Epic of Gilgamesh is so old, there is no known author, however, most editions have a translator.
Step 2
Type a period, a space, the year the book was published in parentheses and a period.
Step 3
Type the name of the book all in italics (only capitalizing the first word) followed by a period.
Step 4
Type the name of the city, a comma, and the abbreviation for the state where the book was published.
Step 5
Type a semi-colon, the name of the publishing company, and a period.
Note
All of the information for the citation can usually be found on the back of the title page in the book.
References
Tips
Writer Bio
Amy Ess has been writing both academically and professionally since 2002. She has served as the head grant writer for a nonprofit organization and received her Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from the University of Central Florida. Ess is currently studying for her master's degree in nonprofit management—also from The University of Central Florida.
