Editing History of literature (section)

=== Mesopotamia ===
[[Image:GilgameshTablet.jpg|thumbnail|A stone tablet containing part of the [[Epic of Gilgamesh]]]]
[[Sumerian literature]] is the oldest known literature, written in [[Sumer]]. Types of literature were not clearly defined, and all Sumerian literature incorporated poetic aspects. Sumerian poems demonstrate basic elements of poetry, including [[Line (poetry)|lines]], [[imagery]], and [[metaphor]]. Humans, gods, talking animals, and inanimate objects were all incorporated as characters. Suspense and humor were both incorporated into Sumerian stories. These stories were primarily shared orally, though they were also recorded by [[scribe]]s. Some works were associated with specific [[musical instrument]]s or contexts and may have been performed in specific settings. Sumerian literature did not use [[Title (publishing)|titles]], instead being referred to by the work's first line.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Black |first1=Jeremy |title=The Literature of Ancient Sumer |last2=Cunningham |first2=Graham |last3=Robson |first3=Eleanor |last4=Zólyomi |first4=Gábor |date=2004-11-25 |publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-155572-5 |language=en |chapter=Introduction}}</ref>

[[Akkadian literature]] developed in subsequent Mesopotamian societies, such as [[Babylonia]] and [[Assyria]], from the third to first millennia BC. During this time, it spread to other areas, including Egypt, [[Ugarit]], and [[Hattusa]]. The [[Akkadian language]] was influenced by the [[Sumerian language]], and many elements of Sumerian literature were adopted in Akkadian literature. Many works of Akkadian literature were commissioned by kings that had scribes and scholars in their service. Some of these works served to celebrate the king or the divine, while others recorded information for religious practices or medicine. Poetry, proverbs, folktales, love lyrics, and accounts of disputes were all incorporated into Akkadian literature.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lenzi |first=Alan |title=An Introduction to Akkadian Literature: Contexts and Content |date=2020-01-10 |publisher=Penn State Press |isbn=978-1-64602-030-0 |language=en |chapter=Introduction}}</ref>