SARGON
/ UR-NANSHE / UR-NINA
![](423px-Sargon_of_Akkad_on_his_victory_stele.jpg)
Sargon
of Akkad on his victory stele, with inscription "King Sargon"
(Šar-ru-gi lugal) vertically inscribed in front of him
|
|
King
of the Akkadian Empire |
Reign |
: |
c.
2334 – 2284 BC (MC) |
Successor |
: |
Mush
/ Uru-Mush / Rimush |
Spouse |
: |
Tashlultum |
Issue |
: |
Menes
/ Manishtushu, Rimush, Enheduanna, Ibarum, Abaish-Takal |
Dynasty |
: |
Akkadian
(Sargonic) |
Father |
: |
La'ibum
/ Gunidu |
Sargon
of Akkad (Šar-ru-gi), also known as Sargon the Great, was the
first ruler of the Akkadian Empire, known for his conquests of the
Sumerian city-states in the 24th to 23rd centuries BC. He is sometimes
identified as the first person in recorded history to rule over
an empire.
He
was the founder of the "Sargonic" or "Old Akkadian"
dynasty, which ruled for about a century after his death until the
Gutian conquest of Sumer. The Sumerian king list makes him the cup-bearer
to king Ur-Zababa of Kish. He is not to be confused with Sargon
I, a later king of the Old Assyrian period.
His
empire is thought to have included most of Mesopotamia, parts of
the Levant, besides incursions into Hurrite and Elamite territory,
ruling from his (archaeologically as yet unidentified) capital,
Akkad (also Agade).
Sargon
appears as a legendary figure in Neo-Assyrian literature of the
8th to 7th centuries BC. Tablets with fragments of a Sargon Birth
Legend were found in the Library of Ashurbanipal.
Name
:
![](640px-Sargon_of_Akkad_(name)_on_his_victory_stele.jpg)
"King
Sargon" (Šar-ru-gi lugal) on the Victory stele of Sargon
The
Akkadian name is normalized as either Šarru-ukin or Šarru-ken.
The name's cuneiform spelling is variously LUGAL-ú-kin, šar-ru-gen,
šar-ru-ki-in, šar-ru-um-ki-in. In Old Babylonian tablets
relating the legends of Sargon, his name is transcribed as Šar-ru-um-ki-in.
In Late Assyrian references, the name is mostly spelled as LUGAL-GI.NA
or LUGAL-GIN, i.e. identical to the name of the Neo-Assyrian king
Sargon II.
A
possible interpretation of the reading Šarru-ukin is "the
king has established (stability)" or "he [the god] has
established the king". Such a name would however be unusual;
other names in -ukin always include both a subject and an object,
as in Šamaš-šuma-ukin "Shamash has established
an heir". There is some debate over whether the name was an
adopted regnal name or a birth name. The reading Šarru-ken
has been interpreted adjectivally, as "the king is established;
legitimate", expanded as a phrase šarrum ki(e)num.
The
terms "Pre-Sargonic" and "Post-Sargonic" were
used in Assyriology based on the chronologies of Nabonidus before
the historical existence of Sargon of Akkad was confirmed. The form
Šarru-ukin was known from the Assyrian Sargon Legend discovered
in 1867 in Ashurbanipal's library at Nineveh. A contemporary reference
to Sargon thought to have been found on the cylinder seal of Ibni-sharru,
a high-ranking official serving under Sargon. Joachim Menant published
a description of this seal in 1877, reading the king's name as Shegani-shar-lukh,
and did not yet identify it with "Sargon the Elder" (who
was identified with the Old Assyrian king Sargon I).
In 1883, the British Museum acquired the "mace-head of Shar-Gani-sharri",
a votive gift deposited at the temple of Shamash in Sippar. This
"Shar-Gani" was identified with the Sargon of Agade of
Assyrian legend. The identification of "Shar-Gani-sharri"
with Sargon was recognised as mistaken in the 1910s. Shar-Guni /
Shar-Gani-sharri (Shar-Kali-Sharri) is, in fact, Sargon's great-grandson,
the successor of Narmar / Naram-Sin / Vishva.
It
is not entirely clear whether the Neo-Assyrian king Sargon II was
directly named for Sargon of Akkad, as there is some uncertainty
whether his name should be rendered Šarru-ukin or as Šarru-ken(u).
Chronology
:
![](Empire_akkad.svg.jpg)
Map
of the approximate extent of the Akkadian Empire during the reign
of Sargon's grandson, Naram-Sin of Akkad
Primary sources pertaining to Sargon are sparse; the main near-contemporary
reference is that in the various versions of the Sumerian King List.
Here, Sargon is mentioned as the son of a gardener, former cup-bearer
of Ur-Zababa of Kish. He usurped the kingship from Lugal-zage-si
of Uruk and took it to his own city of Akkad. Various copies of
the king list give the duration of his reign as either 54, 55 or
56 years. Numerous fragmentary inscriptions relating to Sargon are
also known.
In
absolute years, his reign would correspond to ca. 2334–2284
BC in the middle chronology. His successors until the Gutian conquest
of Sumer are also known as the "Sargonic Dynasty" and
their rule as the "Sargonic Period" of Mesopotamian history.
Foster
(1982) argued that the reading of 55 years as the duration of Sargon's
reign was, in fact, a corruption of an original interpretation of
37 years. An older version of the king list gives Sargon's reign
as lasting for 40 years.
Thorkild
Jacobsen marked the clause about Sargon's father being a gardener
as a lacuna, indicating his uncertainty about its meaning. Ur-Zababa
and Lugal-zage-si are both listed as kings, but separated by several
additional named rulers of Kish, who seem to have been merely governors
or vassals under the Akkadian Empire.
The
claim that Sargon was the original founder of Akkad has been called
into question with the discovery of an inscription mentioning the
place and dated to the first year of Enshakushanna, who almost certainly
preceded him. The Weidner Chronicle (ABC 19:51) states that it was
Sargon who "built Babylon in front of Akkad." The Chronicle
of Early Kings (ABC 20:18–19) likewise states that late in
his reign, Sargon "dug up the soil of the pit of Babylon, and
made a counterpart of Babylon next to Agade". Van de Mieroop
suggested that those two chronicles may refer to the much later
Assyrian king, Sargon II of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, rather than
to Sargon of Akkad.
Some
of the regnal year names of Sargon are preserved, and throw some
light in the events of his reign, particularly the conquest of the
surrounding territories of Simurrum, Elam and Mari, and Uru'a, thought
to be a city in Elam :
1.
Year in which Sargon went to Simurrum
2. Year in which Sargon destroyed Uru'a
3. Year in which Uru'a was destroyed
4. Year in which Sargon destroyed Elam
5. Year in which Mari was destroyed
- Known regnal year names of Sargon.
Historiography
:
Victory
stele of Sargon
![](640px-Sargon_of_Akkad_and_dignitaries.jpg)
The
stele, with Sargon leading a procession
![](560px-Sharrugi_Lugal.jpg)
King
Sargon
Fragment of the Victory Stele of Sargon, showing Sargon with a royal
hair bun, holding a mace and wearing a kaunakes flounced royal coat
on his left shoulder with a large belt (left), followed by an attendant
holding a royal umbrella (center) and a procession of dignitaries
holding weapons. The name of Sargon in cuneiform (Akkadian: Šar-ru-gi
lugal "King Sargon") appears faintly in front of his face.
Clothing is comparable to those seen on the cylinder seal of Kalki,
in which appears the likely brother of Sargon. Circa 2300 BCE. Louvre
Museum. Numerous other inscriptions related to Sargon are known.
Sargon became the subject of legendary narratives describing his
rise to power from humble origins and his conquest of Mesopotamia
in later Assyrian and Babylonian literature. Apart from these secondary,
and partly legendary, accounts, there are many inscriptions due
to Sargon himself, although the majority of these are known only
from much later copies. The Louvre has fragments of two Sargonic
victory steles recovered from Susa (where they were presumably transported
from Mesopotamia in the 12th century BC).
Sargon
appears to have promoted the use of Semitic (Akkadian) in inscriptions.
He frequently calls himself "king of Akkad" first, after
the city of Akkad which he apparently founded. He appears to have
taken over the rule of Kish at some point, and later also much of
Mesopotamia, referring to himself as "Sargon, king of Akkad,
overseer of Inanna, king of Kish, anointed of Anu, king of the land
[Mesopotamia], governor (ensi) of Enlil".
While
various copies of the Sumerian king list credit Sargon with a 56,
55, or 54-year reign, dated documents have been found for only four
different year-names of his actual reign. The names of these four
years describe his campaigns against Elam, Mari, Simurrum (a Hurrian
region), and Uru'a (an Elamite city-state).
During
Sargon's reign, East Semitic was standardized and adapted for use
with the cuneiform script previously used in the Sumerian language
into what is now known as the "Akkadian language". A style
of calligraphy developed in which text on clay tablets and cylinder
seals was arranged amidst scenes of mythology and ritual.
Nippur
inscription :
![](445px-Prisoners_on_the_victory_stele_of_an_Akkadian_king_circa_2300_BCE_Louvre_Museum_Sb_3.jpg)
Prisoners
escorted by a soldier, on a victory stele of Sargon of Akkad, circa
2300 BCE. Probably from the end of Sargon's reign. The hairstyle
of the prisoners (curly hair on top and short hair on the sides)
is characteristic of Sumerians, as also seen on the Standard of
Ur. Louvre Museum
Among
the most important sources for Sargon's reign is a tablet of the
Old Babylonian period recovered at Nippur in the University of Pennsylvania
expedition in the 1890s. The tablet is a copy of the inscriptions
on the pedestal of a Statue erected by Sargon in the temple of Enlil.
Its text was edited by Arno Poebel (1909) and Leon Legrain (1926).
Conquest
of Sumer :
In the inscription, Sargon styles himself "Sargon, king of
Akkad, overseer (mashkim) of Inanna, king of Kish, anointed (guda)
of Anu, king of the land [Mesopotamia], governor (ensi) of Enlil".
It celebrates the conquest of Uruk and the defeat of Lugalzagesi,
whom Sargon brought "in a collar to the gate of Enlil"
:
Sargon,
king of Akkad, overseer of Inanna, king of Kish, anointed of Anu,
king of the land, governor of Enlil: he defeated the city of Uruk
and tore down its walls, in the battle of Uruk he won, took Lugalzagesi
king of Uruk in the course of the battle, and led him in a collar
to the gate of Enlil.
-
Inscription of Sargon (Old Babylonian copy from Nippur).
Sargon then conquered Ur and E-Ninmar and "laid waste"
the territory from Lagash to the sea, and from there went on to
conquer and destroy Umma:
Sargon,
king of Agade, was victorious over Ur in battle, conquered the city
and destroyed its wall. He conquered Eninmar, destroyed its walls,
and conquered its district and Lagash as far as the sea. He washed
his weapons in the sea. He was victorious over Umma in battle, [conquered
the city, and destroyed its walls]. [To Sargon], lo[rd] of the land
the god Enlil [gave no] ri[val]. The god Enlil gave to him [the
Upper Sea and] the [Lower Sea].
-
Inscription of Sargon. E2.1.1.1
Conquest of Upper Mesopotamia, as far as the Mediterranean
sea :
Submitting himself to the (Levantine god) Dagan, Sargon conquered
territories of Upper Mesopotamia and the Levant, including Mari,
Yarmuti (Jarmuth?) and Ibla "up to the Cedar Forest (the Amanus)
and up to the Silver Mountain (Aladagh?)", ruling from the
"upper sea" (Mediterranean) to the "lower sea"
(Persian Gulf).
Sargon
the King bowed down to Dagan in Tuttul. He (Dagan) gave to him (Sargon)
the Upper Land: Mari, Iarmuti, and Ebla, as far as the Cedar Forest
and the Silver Mountains
-
Nippur inscription of Sargon.
Conquests of Elam and Marhashi :
Sargon also claims in his inscriptions that he is "Sargon,
king of the world, conqueror of Elam and Parahshum", the two
major polities to the east of Sumer. He also names various rulers
of the east whom he vanquished, such as "Luh-uh-ish-an, son
of Hishibrasini, king of Elam, king of Elam" or "Sidga'u,
general of Parahshum", who later also appears in an inscription
by Rimush.
Sargon
triumphed over 34 cities in total. Ships from Meluhha, Magan and
Dilmun, rode at anchor in his capital of Akkad.
He
entertained a court or standing army of 5,400 men who "ate
bread daily before him".
Sargon
Epos :
![](640px-Cylinder_seal_of_the_scribe_Kalki_(photograph).jpg)
Cylinder
seal of the scribe Kalki, showing Prince Ubil-Eshtar, probable brother
of Sargon, with dignitaries (an archer in front, two dignitaries,
and the scribe holding a tablet following the Prince). Inscription:
"Ubil-Aštar, brother of the king: KAL-KI the scribe, (is)
his servant"
A group of four Babylonian texts, summarized as "Sargon Epos"
or Res Gestae Sargonis, shows Sargon as a military commander asking
the advice of many subordinates before going on campaigns. The narrative
of Sargon, the Conquering Hero, is set at Sargon's court, in a situation
of crisis. Sargon addresses his warriors, praising the virtue of
heroism, and a lecture by a courtier on the glory achieved by a
champion of the army, a narrative relating a campaign of Sargon's
into the far land of Uta-raspashtim, including an account of a "darkening
of the Sun" and the conquest of the land of Simurrum, and a
concluding oration by Sargon listing his conquests.
![](425px-Akkadian_official_in_the_retinue_of_Sargon_of_Akkad,_holding_an_axe.jpg)
Akkadian
official in the retinue of Sargon of Akkad, holding an axe
The narrative of King of Battle relates Sargon's campaign against
the Anatolian city of Purushanda in order to protect his merchants.
Versions of this narrative in both Hittite and Akkadian have been
found. The Hittite version is extant in six fragments, the Akkadian
version is known from several manuscripts found at Amarna, Assur,
and Nineveh. The narrative is anachronistic, portraying Sargon in
a 19th-century milieu. The same text mentions that Sargon crossed
the Sea of the West (Mediterranean Sea) and ended up in Kuppara,
which some authors have interpreted as the Akkadian word for Keftiu,
an ancient locale usually associated with Crete or Cyprus.
Famine
and war threatened Sargon's empire during the latter years of his
reign. The Chronicle of Early Kings reports that revolts broke out
throughout the area under the last years of his overlordship:
Afterward
in his [Sargon's] old age all the lands revolted against him, and
they besieged him in Akkad; and Sargon went onward to battle and
defeated them; he accomplished their overthrow, and their widespreading
host he destroyed. Afterward he attacked the land of Subartu in
his might, and they submitted to his arms, and Sargon settled that
revolt, and defeated them; he accomplished their overthrow, and
their widespreading host he destroyed, and he brought their possessions
into Akkad. The soil from the trenches of Babylon he removed, and
the boundaries of Akkad he made like those of Babylon. But because
of the evil which he had committed, the great lord Marduk was angry,
and he destroyed his people by famine. From the rising of the sun
unto the setting of the sun they opposed him and gave him no rest.
A.
Leo Oppenheim translates the last sentence as "From the East
to the West he [i.e. Marduk] alienated (them) from him and inflicted
upon (him as punishment) that he could not rest (in his grave)."
Chronicle
of Early Kings :
![](453px-Prisoner_exiting_a_cage,_on_an_Akkadian_Empire_victory_stele_circa_2300_BCE,_Louvre_Museum.jpg)
Prisoner
in a cage, probably king Lugalzagesi of Uruk, being hit on the head
with a mace by Sargon of Akkad. Akkadian Empire victory stele circa
2300 BCE. Louvre Museum
Shortly after securing Sumer, Sargon embarked on a series of campaigns
to subjugate the entire Fertile Crescent. According to the Chronicle
of Early Kings, a later Babylonian historiographical text:
[Sargon]
had neither rival nor equal. His splendor, over the lands it diffused.
He crossed the sea in the east. In the eleventh year he conquered
the western land to its farthest point. He brought it under one
authority. He set up his statues there and ferried the west's booty
across on barges. He stationed his court officials at intervals
of five double hours and ruled in unity the tribes of the lands.
He marched to Kazallu and turned Kazallu into a ruin heap, so that
there was not even a perch for a bird left.
In
the east, Sargon defeated four leaders of Elam, led by the king
of Awan. Their cities were sacked; the governors, viceroys, and
kings of Susa, Warahše, and neighboring districts became vassals
of Akkad.
Family
:
The
name of Sargon's main wife, Queen Tashlultum, and those of a number
of his children are known to us. His daughter Enheduanna was a priestess
who composed ritual hymns. Many of her works, including her Exaltation
of Inanna, were in use for centuries thereafter. Sargon was succeeded
by his son Rimush; after Rimush's death another son, Manishtushu,
became king. Manishtushu would be succeeded by his own son, Naram-Sin.
Two other sons, Shu-Enlil (Ibarum) and Ilaba'is-takal (Abaish-Takal),
are known.
![](640px-Akkadkings.jpg)
Family
tree of Sargon of Akkad
Legacy
:
![](427px-Enheduanna,_daughter_of_Sargon_of_Akkad.jpg)
Enheduanna,
daughter of Sargon
Sargon of Akkad is sometimes identified as the first person in recorded
history to rule over an empire (in the sense of the central government
of a multi-ethnic territory), although earlier Sumerian rulers such
as Lugal-zage-si might have a similar claim. His rule also heralds
the history of Semitic empires in the Ancient Near East, which,
following the Neo-Sumerian interruption (21st/20th centuries BC),
lasted for close to fifteen centuries until the Achaemenid conquest
following the 539 BC Battle of Opis.
Sargon
was regarded as a model by Mesopotamian kings for some two millennia
after his death. The Assyrian and Babylonian kings who based their
empires in Mesopotamia saw themselves as the heirs of Sargon's empire.
Sargon may indeed have introduced the notion of "empire"
as understood in the later Assyrian period; the Neo-Assyrian Sargon
Text, written in the first person, has Sargon challenging later
rulers to "govern the black-headed people" (i.e. the indigenous
population of Mesopotamia) as he did. An important source for "Sargonic
heroes" in oral tradition in the later Bronze Age is a Middle
Hittite (15th century BC) record of a Hurro-Hittite song, which
calls upon Sargon and his immediate successors as "deified
kings" (dšarrena).
Sargon
shared his name with two later Mesopotamian kings. Sargon I was
a king of the Old Assyrian period presumably named after Sargon
of Akkad. Sargon II was a Neo-Assyrian king named after Sargon of
Akkad; it is this king whose name was rendered Sargon in the Hebrew
Bible (Isaiah 20:1).
Neo-Babylonian
king Nabonidus showed great interest in the history of the Sargonid
dynasty and even conducted excavations of Sargon's palaces and those
of his successors.
Sargon
as Ur-nanshe / Ur-Nina :
![](433px-Ur-Nanshe.jpg)
Sargon
/ Ur-Nanshe / Ur-Nina, seated, wearing flounced skirt. The text
to the right of his head reads "Ur-Nanshe" (UR-NAN). The
text in front of him reads "Boats from the land of Dilmun carried
the wood" (ma2 dilmun kur-ta gu2 giš mu-gal2). Limestone,
Early Dynastic III (2550–2500 BC). Found in Telloh (ancient
city of Girsu). Louvre Museum.
Reign
: c.
2550 BC – 2500 BC
Predecessor
:
Lugal-sha-engur
Successor
:
Mudgal / Madgal / Akurgal
Dynasty
: 1st
Dynasty of Lagash
Father
:
Gunidu
Ur-Nanshe
(Sumerian: UR-NANŠE) also Ur-Nina, was the first king of the
First Dynasty of Lagash (approx. 2500 BCE) in the Sumerian Early
Dynastic Period III. He is known through inscriptions to have commissioned
many buildings projects, including canals and temples, in the state
of Lagash, and defending Lagash from its rival state Umma. He was
the father of Mudgal / Madgal / Akurgal, who succeeded him, and
grandfather of Eanatum. Eanatum expanded the kingdom of Lagash by
defeating Umma as illustrated in the Stele of the Vultures and continue
building and renovation of Ur-Nanshe's original buildings.
He
ascended after Lugalshaengur (lugal-ša-engur), who was the
ensi, or high priest of Lagash, and is only known from the macehead
inscription of Mesilim.
Temples
:
According to the Perforated Relief of King Ur-Nanshe, temples attributed
to Ur-Nanshe include Ningirsu's temple in Girsu, Nanshe's temple
in Nina, and Apsubanda. He is known to have originally built the
Ibgal of Inanna, because of Eanatum's honorary inscriptions left
after temple renovation. The Ibgal of Inanna is located in modern-day
al-Hiba (ancient city of Lagash). An oval wall surrounds the main
mud brick temple and it is located on the southwest edge of the
city. This placement within the city is different because temples
were usually centrally positioned in ancient Sumer.
Inscriptions
:
Ur-Nanshe has left behind many inscriptions and plates that depict
him, his family, and court.
The
Perforated Relief :
![](600px-Relief_Ur-Nanshe_Louvre_AO2344.jpg)
Votive
relief of Ur-Nanshe, king of Lagash, with his sons and dignitaries.
Limestone, Early Dynastic III (2550 – 2500 BC). Found in Telloh
(ancient city of Girsu). Louvre Museum
![](lagesh.jpg)
Ur-Nanshe
was king of Lagash, circa 2550 BC
The Perforated Relief of King Ur-Nanshe is on display at the Louvre.
The king is portrayed as a builder of temples and canals, thus a
preserver of order perceived to be bestowed upon them by the gods.
It is a perforated limestone slab that was probably part of a wall
as a votive decoration and is inscribed in Sumerian:
Ur-Nanshe
/ lugal / Lagash / dumu Gunidu / dumu Gurmu/ e2 Ningirsu mu-du3
/ abzu-banda3da mu-du3 / e2 Dnanshe mu-du3
“Ur-Nanshe, king of Lagash, son of Gunidu, son of Gurmu, built
the temple of Ningirsu, built Apsubanda, built the temple of Nanshe.”
-
Dedication inscription of Ur-Nanshe (top left corner)
The carved illustration is in two registers, top and bottom, both
depicting Ur-Nanshe in different roles as king.
In the top register he is dressed in a kaunakes (tufted wool skirt),
carrying a basket of bricks on his head while surrounded by other
Lagash elite, his wife, and seven of his sons. Inscriptions on their
respective garments identify each person. On the bottom register,
Ur-Nanshe is at a banquet, which is to celebrate the building of
the temple. He is seated on a throne wearing the same outfit as
the top register surrounded by other court members. In both registers
Ur-Nanshe is shown using hierarchical proportion in which he is
considerably larger than everyone surrounding him.
A
part of the inscriptions, in front of the seated king, reads: “Boats
from the (distant) land of Dilmun carried the wood (for him)”.
This is the oldest known written record of Dilmun and importation
of goods into Mesopotamia.
![](579px-Ur-Nanshe_relief_(B&W).jpg)
The
relief at time of discovery
![](433px-Ur-Nanshe.jpg)
Ur-Nanshe
on the relief. He is also depicted wearing a basket for the construction
of a temple
![](603px-Ur-Nanshe_perforated_relief_The_ships_of_Dilmun,_from_the_foreign_lands,_brought_him_wood_as_a_tribute.jpg)
Inscription
in front of Ur-Nanshe: "The ships of Dilmun, from the foreign
lands, brought him wood as a tribute" (ma2 dilmun kur-ta gu2
giš mu-gal2)
![](368px-Akurgal_as_son_of_Ur-Nanshe,_on_the_votive_relief_of_Ur-Nanshe.jpg)
Ur-Nanshe's
son Akurgal on the relief
![](Detail,_wall_or_door_votive_plaque._The_largest_figure_on_left_(with_a_basket_on_his_head_is_Ur-Nanshe,_ruler_of_Lagash)._Cuneiform_text._Early_Dynastic_period,_2550-250.jpg)
Perforated
relief of Ur-Nanshe at the Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul, Turkey.
Very similar to the Louvre's plaque. From Girsu, Iraq
Door
socket :
![](567px-Ur-Nanshe_door_socket.jpg)
Ur-Nanshe
door socket with inscription: "Ur-Nanshe, King of Lagash, son
of Gunidu, the son of Gurmu..." and a list of the temples he
built. Louvre Museum
An inscribed door socket from Ur-Nanshe is also known, now in the
Louvre Museum. The full inscription of the door socket has been
translated as :
"Ur-Nanshe,
the king of Lagash, the son of Gunidu, the son of Gurmu, built the
house of Ningirsu; built the house of Nanshe; built the house of
Gatumdug; built the harem; built the house of Ninmar. The ships
of Dilmun brought him wood as a tribute from foreign lands. He built
the Ibgal; built the Kinir; built the scepter (?)-house."
-
Inscription on the perforated relief of Ur-Nanshe.
![](607px-Door_socket_of_Ur-Nanshe.jpg)
The
door socket of Ur-Nanshe at time of discovery
![](640px-Ships_from_Dilmun_brought_wood_tribute_from_foreign_lands.jpg)
"The
ships of Dilmun, from the foreign lands, brought him (Ur-Nanshe)
wood as a tribute (?)" (ma2 dilmun kur-ta gu2 giš mu-gal2).
Door socket of Ur-Nanshe
The
Plaque of Ur Nanshe :
![](640px-Limestone_votive_relief_of_Ur-Nanshe,_King_of_Lagash,_Girsu,_Early_Dynastic_Period_III,_c._2550-2500_BC.jpg)
Plaque
of Ur-Nanshe, King of Lagash, with his sons and a cup bearer. Louvre
Museum
The Plaque of Ur Nanshe is a limestone plaque currently located
at the Louvre Museum that honors Ur Nanshe. The figures displayed
are the king and his court standing rigid and wide eyed, paying
homage to the god Nanshe. They are dressed in kaunakes with their
hands clasped together over their chest. Hierarchical scale of the
king and the use of cuneiform on the figures to identify them are
employed as in the Perforated Relief.
Ur-Nanshe / lugal / Lagash / dumu Gunidu / E-Ningirsu / mudu
"Ur-Nanshe, king of Lagash, son of Gunidu, built the temple
of Ningirsu"
-
Inscription on the plaque of Ur-Nanshe. Louvre Museum.
![](602px-Plaque_of_Ur-Nanshe.jpg)
Plaque
of Ur-Nanshe at time of discovery
![](335px-Ur-Nanshe_King_of_Lagash_in_the_limestone_votive_relief_of_Ur-Nanshe.jpg)
Ur-Nanshe
himself
![](321px-Akurgal_as_a_child_in_the_limestone_votive_relief_of_Ur-Nanshe.jpg)
Akurgal
as a child in the limestone votive relief of Ur-Nanshe
Additional
inscriptions :
Ur-Nanshe inscription
![](553px-Ur-Nanshe_in_cuneiform.jpg)
"Ur-Nanshe"
![](310px-King_in_Ur-Nanshe_inscription.jpg)
King of
![](454px-Lagash_in_cuneiform.jpg)
"Lagash"
![](640px-Fragment_Ur-Nanshe_Louvre_MNB1415.jpg)
Fragmentary stele bearing from right to left the inscription
"Ur-Nanshe/ King of/ Lagash/ son of Gunidu/ to Ningirsu..."
(Louvre)
There are many other inscriptions found by or mentioning Ur-Nanshe.
Some of them include a listing of rulers of Lagash and a Hymn to
Nashe.
Excerpt
from Ruler of Lagash :
“Ur-Nanše,
the son of ……, who built the E-Sirara, her temple of
happiness and Nigin, her beloved city, acted for 1080 years. Ane-tum,
the son of Ur-Nanše”
Excerpt
from A Hymn to Nashe :
“There
is perfection in the presence of the lady. Lagaš thrives in
abundance in the presence of Nanše. She chose the šennu
in her holy heart and seated Ur-Nanše, the beloved lord of
Lagaš, on the throne. She gave the lofty scepter to the shepherd.”
![](632px-Tablet_of_Ur-Nanshe.jpg)
Tablet
of Ur-Nanshe (Urn 24): "Ur-Nanshe, King of Lagash, son of Gunidu,
the son of Gurmu, built the house of Nanshe, fashioned (the statue
of) Nanshe (...) Boats from the land of Dilmun carried the wood"
![](640px-Boats_from_the_land_of_Dilmun_carried_the_wood.jpg)
"The
ships of Dilmun, from the foreign lands, brought him (Ur-Nanshe)
wood as a tribute (?)" (ma2 dilmun kur-ta gu2 giš mu-gal2).
Tablet of Ur-Nanshe (Urn 24)
![](600px-Fragmentary_votive_inscription-AO_3866-IMG_9163-gradient.jpg)
Inscription
in the name of Ur-Nanshe, an incantation to the reed and to Enki,
before the foundation of the Girsu sanctuary for god Ningirsu
![](434px-thumbnail.jpg)
Goddess
Shul-utul, foundation peg, with inscription "Ur-Nanshe, King
of Lagash, son of Gunidu, built the shrine Girsu", probably
Girsu, Tell Telloh, Iraq, mid 3rd millennium BCE. Harvard Semitic
Museum, Cambridge, MA
![](594px-Akurgal_king_of_Lagash_son_of_Ur-Nanshe_on_the_Stele_of_the_Vultures.jpg)
"Akurgal
king of Lagash, son of Ur-Nanshe" on the Stele of the Vultures
![](640px-Relief_Im-dugud_Louvre_AO2783.jpg)
Votive
relief of Ur-Nanshe, king of Lagash, representing the bird-god Anzû
(or Im-dugud) as a lion-headed eagle. Alabaster, Early Dynastic
III (2550–2500 BC). Found in Telloh, ancient city of Girsu
![](378px-Temple_foundation_figurine_of_Ur-Nanshe.jpg)
Temple
foundation figurine in the name of Ur-Nanshe. Inscription "Ur-Nanshe,
King of Lagash, has built the shrine of Girsu". British Museum,
BM 96565
![](452px-Stele_or_obelisk_of_Ur-Nanshe_with_goddess_Nisaba,_ruler_of_Lagash,_from_Lagash,_Iraq,_26th_century_BCE._Iraq_Museum.jpg)
Stele
of Ur-Nanshe with goddess Nisaba, ruler of Lagash, from Lagash,
Iraq, 26th century BCE. Iraq Museum
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Sargon_of_Akkad#Sumerian_legend
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ur-Nanshe