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Sargon of Akkad
Sargon of Akkad (r. 2334 - 2279 BCE) was the king of the Akkadian Empire of Mesopotamia, the first multi-national empire in history, who united the disparate kingdoms of the region under a central authority. He is equally famous today as...
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Sargon and Ur-Zababa
Sargon and Ur-Zababa is a Sumerian poem, date of composition unknown, relating the rise to power of Sargon of Akkad (r. 2334-2279 BCE), founder of the Akkadian Empire. The work is classified as a Mesopotamian folktale, relying on motifs such...
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The Legend of Sargon of Akkad
The Legend of Sargon of Akkad (c. 2300 BCE) is an Akkadian work from Mesopotamia understood as the autobiography of Sargon of Akkad (Sargon the Great, r. 2334-2279 BCE), founder of the Akkadian Empire. The earliest copy is dated to the 7th...
Definition
Sargon II
Sargon II (r. 722-705 BCE) was one of the most important kings of the Neo-Assyrian Empire as founder of the Sargonid Dynasty which would rule the empire for the next century until its fall. He was a great military leader, tactician, patron...
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Akkad and the Akkadian Empire
Akkad was the seat of the Akkadian Empire (2334-2218 BCE), the first multi-national political entity in the world, founded by Sargon the Great (r. 2334-2279 BCE) who unified Mesopotamia under his rule and set the model for later Mesopotamian...
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Winning Against the Odds: Sargon II & the Urartu Campaign
It is often when one is faced with the most difficult circumstances that one is given the greatest opportunity for clarity. History provides ample evidence of this experience in showing how, when faced with seemingly impossible situations...
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Birth of Sargon of Akkad
Clay tablet with the birth of Sargon of Akkad and his argument with the king of Kish, late 3rd millennium BCE, now in the Louvre, Paris
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Naram-Sin
Naram-Sin (r. 2261-2224 BCE) was the last great king of the Akkadian Empire and grandson of Sargon the Great (r. 2334-2279 BCE) who founded the empire. He is considered the most important Akkadian king after Sargon (or, according to some...
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Inscription of the Birth of King Sargon of Akkad
This fragment of a clay tablet narrates in 17 lines of cuneiform inscription the origin of Sargon and recounts how as a baby he was found in a basket floating in a river. Sargon reigned from 2334-2279 BCE. From the library of Ashurbanipal...
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The Curse of Agade: Naram-Sin's Battle with the Gods
The Curse of Agade is a story dated to the Ur III Period of Mesopotamia (2047-1750 BCE) though thought to be somewhat older in origin. It tells the story of the Akkadian king Naram-Sin (r. 2261-2224 BCE) and his confrontation with the gods...