sources on sargon of akkad, from the sacred books and early literature of the east, vol. 1

7/27/2019 Sources on Sargon of Akkad, from THE SACRED BOOKS AND EARLY LITERATURE OF THE EAST, vol. 1

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Sources on Sar on of Akkad


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LITERATURE OF THE EAST 91

THE LEGEND OF SARGON, KING OF AGADESargon, the mighty king, the King of Agade, am I,My mother was lowly, my father I knew not,And the brother of my father dwells in the mountain.My city is Azupiranu,7 which lies on the bank of the

Euphrates.5 My lowly mother conceived me, in secret she brought me

forth.She set me in a basket of rushes, with bitumen she closedmy door;She cast me into the river, which rose not over me.The river bore me up, unto Akki, the irrigator, it carriedme.Akki, the irrigator, with . . . lifted me out,10 Akki, the irrigator, as his own son . . . reared me,Akki, the irrigator, as his gardener appointed me.While I was a gardener the goddess Ishtar loved me,And for . . . -four years I ruled the kingdom.the black-headed peoples 8 I ruled, I governed ;

15 Mighty mountains with axes of bronze did I destroy.I climbed the upper mountains ;I burst through the lower mountains.The Country of the Sea three times did I besiege ;Dilmun 9 did . . .

20 Unto the great Dur-ilu10 I went up, I

. . . I altered . . .Whatsover king shall be exalted after me,Let him rule, let him govern the black-headed peoples ;25 Mighty mountains with axes of bronze let him destroy.

7 The location of this city is unknown.s A common phrase for the people of the Euphrates valley,s Dilmun was an island in the Persian Gulf.

0 A city in eastern Babylonia. The name signifies, Wall of God.


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92 THE SACRED BOOKSLet him climb the upper mountain ;Let him burst through the lower mountains.The country of the Sea let him three times besiegeAnd Dilmun . . .

30 To the great Dur-ilu let him go up .... . . from my city of Akkad . . .


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LITERATURE OF THE EAST

CHRONICLE CONCERNING SARGON AND OTHEREARLY KINGSSargon, King of Agade, by Ishtar's royal insignia was

exalted,And he had no rival or enemy. His glory he poured outover the world.

The sea of the East n he crossed,And in the eleventh year his hand subdued the Country ofthe West 12 in its full extent.

5 He united them under one control ; he set up his images inthe west ;

Their booty he brought over at his word.He settled the sons of his palace for five biru around,And over the hosts of the world he reigned supreme.Against Kagalla he marched, and turned Kagalla intomounds and ruins;

10 He destroyed within it, leaving not a bird's resting-place.Afterward in his old age all the lands revolted against him,And they besieged him in Agade ; and Sargon went forthto battle and accomplished their defeat;

Their overthrow he brought about, and their wide spread-ing host he destroyed.

Afterward he attacked the land of Subartu in his might,and before his arms they bowed down,15 And Sargon quelled that revolt, and accomplished their

defeat ;Their overthrow he brought about, and their wide spread-ing host he destroyed.

Their possessions he caused to be brought into Agade.The soil he removed from the trenches of Babylon,And the boundaries of Agade he made like those of Baby-lon. 13

11 The Persian Gulf.12 Syria.is This passage seems to identify the kingdom of Agade with the


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94* THE SACRED BOOKS20 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 sunThey rebelled against him and gave him no rest.

OBVEESENaram-Sin, the son of Sargon, marched against the city

of Apirak,And he built trenches, and his hand subduedKish-Adad, King of Apirak, and the governor of Apirak.He marched against Magan, 14 and Mannu-dannu, King of

Magan, his hand subdued,5 Dungi, son of Ur-Engur, richly adorned the city of Eridu,

which was on the shore of the sea,But he sought after evil, and the treasure of E-sagila and

of Babylon,He brought out as spoil. And Be,l was . . . and bodyand ... he made an end of him.

Ura-imitti, the King, set Bel-ibni, the gardener,Upon his thron6, that the dynasty might not come to an

end;10 And the crown of his kingship he placed upon his head,

Ura-imitti in his palace . . . died.Bel-ibni, who sat upon the throne, did not arise therefrom,But was established as king.Ilu-shuma, King of Assyria, against Su-abu.

later kingdom of Babylon; but it also seems to imply the earlier sep-arate existence of Babylon as a defeated rival of Agade.i* Sinai.


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95

OMEN TABLET OF SARGON OF AKKAD 15OBVERSE

When the moon at its setting with the color of a dust-cloudfilled the crescent, the moon was favorable for Sar-gon, who, at this season,marched against the country of Elam and subjugated themen of Elam.

Misery he brought upon them ; their food he cut off.When the moon at its setting filled the crescent with the

color of a dust-cloud, and over the face of the sky thecolor extended behind the moon during the day andremained bright,

5 the moon was favorable for Sargon, who marched againstthe country of Phenicia, and

subjugated the country of Phenicia. His hand conqueredthe four quarters of the world.

When the moon increased in form on the right hand andon the left, and moreover during the day the fingerreached over the horns, 16

the moon was favorable for Sagon who, at this season, pro-duced joy in Babylon, and

like dust the spoil of Bab-dhuna was carried awayand . . .10 ... he made Akkad a city ; the city of ... he called its

name;the men ... in the midst he caused to dwell.

is The astrological notices with which the account of Sargon's cam-paigns is associated are explained by the fact that the great Chaldeanwork on astronomy and astrology was compiled for his library atAkkad, and that one of the objects of this work was to trace a con-nection between certain astronomical occurrences and the events whichimmediately followed them.

is The moon lay on its back, and the distance from the extremity ofone horn to that of another was as much as a span.


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96 THE SACRED BOOKSWhen the moon ... on the left the color of fire . . .

on the left of the planet, andthe moon was favorable to Sargon who, at this season,against the country of Pheniciamarched and subjugated it. The four quarters of the

world his hand conquered.15 When the moon . . . behind the moon the four heads

were placed,the moon was favorable to Sargon who, at this season,marched against the country of Phenicia andsubjugated the country of Phenicia. His enemies he

smote; his heroes... in the gate of its 17 rising.When the moon was fixed and a span . . . the moon was

favorable to Sargon, as for whom, at this season, thegoddess Ishtar

20 with favors filled for him his hand . . . the goddessIshtar all countries

caused him to conquer ; against Tiri . . .When the moon appeared like a lion, the moon was favor-

able to Sargon who, at this season,was very exalted and a rival or equal had not; his owncountry was at peace. Over

the countries of the sea of the setting sun 18 he crossed andfor three years at the setting sun

25 all countries his hand conquered. Every place to formbut one empire he appointed. His images at the set-ting sun

he erected. Their spoil he caused to pass over into thecountries of the sea. 19

IT The Sun-god must be referred to.is The Mediterranean.i We infer from this that Sargon had crossed over into Cyprus, and

there erected an image of himself. This might explain why his laternamesake Sargon sent to the island a monument, which is now inBerlin. General di Cesnola brought back from Cyprus a Babylonian


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LITERATURE OF THE EAST 97When the moon on the right hand was like the color of

gall, and there was no finger ; 20 the upper part waslong and the moon was setting,

the moon was favorable for Sargon, who enlarged his pal-ace of Delight by 5 mitlchu, and

established the chiefs in it and called it the House ofKiam-izallik. 21

30 When the moon was like a cloud, like the color of gall, andthere was no finger; on the right side was the colorof a sword; the circumference of the left side wasvisible ;

toward its face on the left the color extended; the moonwas favorable for Sargon, against whom, at this sea-son, Kastubila of the country of Kazalla rebelledand against Kazalla

Sargon marched and he smote their forces; he accom-plished their destruction.

Their mighty army he annihilated ; he reduced Kazalla todust and ruins.

The station of the birds 22 he overthrew.35 When the moon was like a cloud, like the color of gall, and

there was no finger ; 23 on the right side was the colorof a sword; the circumference of the left was visi-ble;

and against its face the Seven 24 advanced ; the moon wasfavorable to Sargon, against whom, at this season,

cylinder of haematite bearing the inscription,Abil-Ishtar, the son ofIlu-Balidh, the servant of the deified Naram-Sin. The cylinder was

probably executed either during the reign of Naram-Sin, or shortlyafterward, as the cult of the King is not likely to have continued afterthe fall of his dynasty.

20 it could not be measured.21 Thus he has appointed.22 What this refers to it is impossible to say. The expression can

hardly be metaphorical.23 It eould not be measured.2* The Seven Evil Spirits, who were supposed to cause eclipses of themoon.

VOL. I. 7.


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98 THE SACRED BOOKSthe elders of the whole country revolted and besieged him

in the city of Akkad ; butSargon issued forth and smote their forces ; their destruc-tion he accomplished.

REVERSETheir numerous soldiery he massacred ; the spoil that was

upon them he collected. The booty of Ishtar he shouted.When the moon had two fingers, and swords were seen on

the right side and the left, and might and peace wereon the left

its hand presented a sword ; the sword in its left hand wasof the color of 'sukhuruni; the point was held in theleft hand and there were two heads ;

5 the moon was favorable for Sargon who, at this season,subjected the men of the country of 'Su-edin 25 in its plen-

itude to the sword, andSargon caused their seats to be occupied, andsmote their forces; their destruction he accomplished;

their mighty armyhe cut off, and his troops he collected ; into the city ofAkkad he brought them back.

10 When the moon had two fingers and on the right side of itwas of the color of a sword and on the left it wasvisible ;

and against its face the Seven advanced; its appearancewas of the color of gall ; the moon was favorable forNaram-Sin 26

who, at this season, marched against the city of Apirak,and

utterly destroyed it : Ris-Kimmon the King of Apirak,he overthrew and the city of Apirak his hand conquered.

25 The plain of the 'Suti, or nomad tribes on the eastern side ofBabylonia.26 The successor of Sargon on the throne.


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LITERATURE OF THE EAST 9915 When the moon ... on the right of it was of the color of

a sword, and on the left it was visible ;and against its face the Seven advanced; the moon was

favorable for Naram-Sin who, at this season,marched against the country of Maganna 27 and seizedthe country of Maganna, and

. . . the King of Maganna his hand captured.When against the moon the Seven were banded, and

behind it ...20 ... never may there be a son. . . .

27 The Sinaitic Peninsula.

sources on sargon of akkad, from the sacred books and early literature of the east, vol. 1

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