Final answer:
Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar's advances because he is aware of her history of treating her lovers badly and the dangerous whims of the gods.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the hero, Gilgamesh, rejects the advances of Ishtar, the goddess of fertility, for several reasons. One of them is that Ishtar has a reputation for treating her lovers poorly, which Gilgamesh points out through examples. He mentions the fate of her previous lovers who were all turned into animals or suffered other terrible fates. On top of this, he is aware of the irrationality and danger of the gods, who act on very human impulses. Given that Ishtar is part of these Mesopotamian cultures' divine pantheon, he does not want to get involved with her romantically. Hence, due to these reasons, Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar's advances.
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