Table of Contents
What lands did Sargon penetrate?
By force of arms Sargon conquered all the Sumerian city-states and the entire Tigris-Euphrates valley, bringing into being an empire that stretched from the Taurus Mountains to the Persian Gulf and, perhaps, even to the Mediterranean.
What was Sargon known for?
Sargon, byname Sargon of Akkad, (flourished 23rd century bce), ancient Mesopotamian ruler (reigned c. 2334–2279 bce) who was one of the earliest of the world’s great empire builders, conquering all of southern Mesopotamia as well as parts of Syria, Anatolia, and Elam (western Iran).
What did King Sargon do?
Sargon sent Akkadian governors to rule Sumerian cities and tear down defensive walls. He left the Sumerian religion in place but made Akkadian the official language of all Mesopotamia. King Sargon ruled for more than half a century and founded a dynasty that held firm through the reign of his grandson, Naram-Sin.
What is the Akkadian Empire known for?
The Akkadian Empire was an ancient Semitic empire centered in the city of Akkad, which united all the indigenous Akkadian speaking Semites and Sumerian speakers under one rule. The Empire controlled Mesopotamia, the Levant, and parts of Iran. Akkad is sometimes regarded as the first empire in history.
Is Sargon mentioned in the Bible?
Though some Assyrian kings are mentioned in several places (and some appear very prominently), such as Sennacherib and Esarhaddon, Sargon is only mentioned once in the Bible.
Why was Sargon the first great empire builder?
The empire did not collapse totally, for Sargon’s successors were able to control their legacy, and later generations thought of him as being perhaps the greatest name in their history. Attributing his success to the patronage of the goddess Ishtar, in whose honour Agade was erected, Sargon of Akkad became the first great empire builder.
Where did Sargon get most of his information from?
Sargon is known almost entirely from the legends and tales that followed his reputation through 2,000 years of cuneiform Mesopotamian history, and not from documents that were written during his lifetime. The lack of contemporary record is explained by the fact that the capital city of Agade, which he built, has never been located and excavated.
Why did Sargon have problems with the Sumerians?
The troubles, in fact, were probably caused by the inability of one man, however energetic, to control so vast an empire without a developed and well-tried administration. There is no evidence to suggest that he was particularly harsh, nor that the Sumerians disliked him for being a Semite.
How did king Sargon of Akkad rise to power?
Sargon began his rise as a cupbearer to the king of Kish, whom he eventually overthrew. He then led troops against the great rival ruler to the south, Lugalzagesi, who commanded all of Sumer. Animosities among Sumerian city-states may have hampered Lugalzagesi in his fight against Sargon, who captured him and placed a yoke around his neck.
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