Should i start with the greeks? or the sumerians?

i´m reading - Sumerian Mythology by Samuel Kramer and i don´t think it´s really that helpful to my literature experience and it´s fucking boring, should i skip the sumerians and start with the greeks?

bump

No, you have to read every book ever written in chronological order, otherwise you won't have the proper literary experience. However, the fact that you started with a book which is not the oldest book ever written means you've already ruined it and might as well pick up some Stephen King, YA, or, better yet, quit literature altogether. Sorry, we really should put this information in the sticky.

you don´t have to be condescending

Kek

So, which is the oldest book ever written?

a caveman's diary desu

We don't know yet, that's why no one on Veeky Forums reads.

Rock art?

the Greeks. don't even bother with anything from that chart outside of Gulgamesh

Gilgamesh is surprisingly touchig
Its odd that the oldest surviving song and the oldest surviving epic bith deal with "stop being a fag and enjoy life bro"

finally some worthy advice

underrated post

just start with the greeks. the only reason to go back and read the stuff in the chart is out of pure interest, it's not gonna be influential to the later western stuff it sounds like you're planning on reading.

People say to start with the Greeks because that is what western civilization is built upon. Plato is infinitely more relevant than some Egyptian writer.

Although if you're interested by all means read those books.

You dumbass, that chart is if you're interested in the bronze age, it's not a substitute for the Greeks.

Start with the cave paintings.

study the tree rings and the history of the paramecium and amoeba only then can you move on to metazoan life forms

You should start with the greeks but The sumerians by Kramer is a VERY interesting read

Greeks, and if you like the mythology stuff go back and read about Mesopotamian and Egyptian myths. They are pretty interesting. It's especially cool how the Greek and Egyptian myths overlap.

unironically this

Start with the Greeks. It's your normalisation point and your means of orientation for the rest of literature. The literature is at once basic, fascinating, and engaging. The myths, dramas, dialogues, speeches. They are easy to enter into and you can quickly get a foothold of different types of literature without the stress of taking on something wholly unfamiliar.

Going forward, you have the context of how the foundational ideas from Homer, Plato, et al. influenced the greater and lesser works of western literature.

Going backward, you can look into the Bronze Age/Ancient Near East once you're familiar with some idea of literature and history, as it's easier to dip into Babylonian Epics, Egyptian poetry, and some fascinating history of Mesopotamia. From looking at the chart you posted, you can see how the different civilisations branch out like spokes on a wheel, so you don't have to run through the whole gamut of Mespotamian, Egyptian, Semitic, Hittite literature. It's also difficult to form a smooth continuation between the Ancient Near East and the Greeks, so if you think of the Bronze Age stuffs as its own self-contained hub, then starting with the Greeks equips you to read Bronze Age literature with a quicker and easier eye.

Bridging these two eras is Scripture.

good post