What is the role of gods in The Epic of Gilgamesh?

The gods in this
ancient epic demonstrate that they are in no way more divine or sensible than mortals, and, as
Gilgamesh and Enkidu discover, in some ways their divine powers make them even more childish and
irrational and capricious than their human counterparts. The world of this epic is one where
piety to the gods is expected and it is foolish in the extreme to intentionally anger them,
however it is also a world where piety does not automatically guarantee protection. For an
example of how childish and fickle the gods can be, note...