Sargon the Great of Akkad founded the Akkadian Empire (r. 2,334 - 2,279 BCE) defying boundaries in military tactics and administration to create a multi-lingual great power. His achievements inspired future empire-builders in the region. In modern sense, Sargon the Great is the world's first success story - from "an orphan" left adrift in a river to a forger of an empire that dominated the Mesopotamia for more than a century.
Finding Sargon the Man and the Myth
Much of the details regarding Sargon the Great of the Akkadian empire came from various tablets and fragments created centuries after the death of history's first empire builder. Thus, embellishments and exaggerations littered his biography. This obscured the real life of Sargon and created Sargon the legend.
Akkadian Moses?
Sargon was born an Akkadian, a Semitic people that settled in modern day Iraq, different from the Sumerians that settled in the lower banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Due to lack of contemporary records, Sargon's exact birth place, date, and name remains lost in history. Even his background remains a mystery due to differences in the sources and later records. Records that aimed to make Sargon a humble orphan otherwise a man of the people.
Sargon came from the words Sarru ken which meant "True King". This meant he only used the name after his rise to power while his initial name continues to be a mystery.
For the circumstances of his birth, the Birth-Legend of Sargon stated that his mother served as a high priestess, his father he never knew, and his uncle lived in the highlands. He came to this world in the city of Azupiranu either unwanted circumstances or for other unknown context. His mother placed him in a basket and cast him down in the Euphrates River until a water-drawer named Aqqi took him in and raised him to be a gardener.
According to another tablet, La'ibum fathered Sargon and once again came from humble origins. He later became a delivery boy to the palace of the disturbed ruler of Kish, Ur-Zababa. From then on he began his climb to power.
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| Sargon visited by Ishtar |
Rise to Power
Mystery once again clouded Sargon's rise to power. Divine protection or inspiration, he usurped the throne of Kish and deposed its leader Ur-Zababa. He then thrusted to the front of Mesopotamian politics the Akkadian people.
According to the same tablet that named Sargon's father La'ibum, the future Akkadian leader served as the cupbearer of the Ur-Zababa. But due to a disturbing dream that made King of Kish piss with blood and puss, he viewed his cupbearer as a threat and planned to kill him twice. The story ended, however, in a cliff-hanger due to missing fragments.
Regardless of the story, Sargon staged a coup that toppled down Ur-Zababa, establishing the Sargonic or Akkadian dynasty in Kish. From Kish, Sargon cemented his rule by starting a groundbreaking project establishing a new city - Agade or Akkade. The city that labelled Sargon's ethnic group the Akkadians.
Military Powerhouse
Sargon surely proved himself as a capable military leader. His success laid in the introduction of new weapons and organization. He created alterations in the traditional Sumerian style of warfare which resulted to a powerful juggernaut. This allowed the Akkadian Empire to smash their enemies and rebels securing control over newly conquered lands and cities.
Sumerian military practices only allowed for seasonal campaigns and short-term conflicts. Sumerian armies composed of the small palace guards and conscripts drafted from the local population of farmers and craftsmen, hence the need to return to civilian life to harvest crops. The organization of these forces based on clans, districts, and cities. Their formations only worked in wide open plains. The Sumerians also supplemented their main armies with chariots as well as skirmishers.
Sargon implemented changes in the organization and the tactics that gave the Akkadians edge against their opponents. He organized his troops based on formation creating units of phalanxes composed of 36 men each. He trained his soldiers to be highly flexible and mobile. Moreover, he and his successors widely used the bow and arrow to their advantage. He meant for his army to inflict physical and morale damage to their enemies before contact. Lastly, unlike the conscripted armies of the Sumerians, Sargon said to have established the world's first professional army made of 5,400 men. Men who lived by fighting and always ready and capable. The standing army allowed the Akkadians to establish order and security in captured cities for a long term.
Thus, turning against the convention in warfare allowed Sargon to be a successful military leader. A Napoleon of the ancient world. He carved out and began a concept of imperialism.
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| Sumerians (left) battling the Akkadians |
Sargon the Conqueror
From Kish and Agade, Sargon then marched to expand his dominion breaking boundaries to setup history's earliest known Empire.
Because of the lack of contemporary and complete sources, the dates of the campaigns remains unknown. Surely, Sargon marched against the Sumerian's regional power - Uruk and its leader Lugal-zage-si. He successfully captured him along with his 50 deputies and returned them to Agade in chains. He then marched to add to his fold the various Sumerian city states of Lagash, Ur, and Umma until his forces reached the Persian Gulf where he said to have washed his sword marking the end of his southern expansion.
He also then marched north until he reach the Mediterranean Sea or what the ancients called the Upper Sea. He touched the Taurus Mountains of Anatolia and the cedar forests of Lebanon. He also subjugated the people of Mari and the Elamites of the Zagros Mountains.
Besides conquest, Sargon also fostered trade with various Anatolian kingdoms and cities beyond the Persian Gulf. Dilmun in modern-day Bahrain, Magan in present-day Oman, and even Meluhha, suspected to be located in the Indus Valley, all had ships docked in Akkadian ports for trade. Despite the distance, Sargon demonstrated his might when group of merchants begged for his assistance against the Anatolian Kingdom of Purushanda ruled by Nur-Daggal.
With the absence of roads and despite the operation of an ancient postal service, however, rebellion unsurprisingly plagued the Empire. The once independent city-states looked to regain their past self-rule and resisted Akkadian rule.
Imperial Policy
As the Akkadian Empire grew, Sargon enacted policies to consolidate his rule over his dominion. He weakened the city-states by removing their traditional leaders and defenses. Moreover, he sought to unite the Empire with standardization. These measures he hoped to prevent rebellions.
After a conquest of a city-state, Sargon cemented his rule by subduing the capacity of the occupied area to rebel. Either figuratively or not, he ordered the demolition of defensive walls of conquered cities. He deposed local rulers in most occasions and replaced them with Akkadian governors. Even Sargon's children received assignments, such as Enheduanna who became the priestess of the temple of Nanna in the Sumerian city of Ur. For local rulers who remained, their relatives went to Agade either a part of tribute missions or as hostages.
Beyond hindering defensive capabilities, Sargon aimed as well to unify the empire through language. Akkadian became the official language of administration. He also standardized weights and measures making trade an attractive and lucrative reason for conquered city states to behave and remain loyal.
Despite such efforts, the inevitable rebellions occurred. The spirit of independence and self-rule that lived for centuries among the conquered city-state remained. Rebellions marred the latter years of Sargon's rule and continued to be challenged for his successors.
Death and Aftermath
Sargon "the Great" of Akkad, according to the Sumerian King List, ruled for 56 years. Estimates dated his passing around 2,279 BCE leaving his son Rimush as the new King of the Akkadian Empire. Sargon's dynasty ruled until 2,154 BCE.
Centuries after his rule, Assyrian Kings looked up to him as a role model for better or for worst. 2 Assyrian Kings even adopted his name. Much of Sargon's tactics in the subjugation of conquered lands magnified during the Assyrians and Neo-Assyrian Empires. They also contributed much to the embellishments that hindered the identifying the real Akkadian founder.
Summing Up
Sargon the Great created a legend. First military dictator and first empire builder became some of Sargon's great acclamations. If truly an orphan, he may also be history's first rag to riches story.
Sargon the Great pushed the boundaries and conventions. His military reforms created a mobile and professional army that Napoleon would have admired. Beyond the Sumerian traditions, he also braved into expanding his territory like no other previous rulers.
Sargon the Great embodied innovation and determination creating a myth that even after centuries many admired and even idolized.
Bibliography:
Books:
Erskine, Andrew (ed.). A Companion to Ancient History. Chichester, West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing, 2009.
Westenholz, Joan Goodnick. Legends of the Kings of Akkade. Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 1997.
Websites:
"Sargon and Ur-Zababa." ETCSL Translation. Accessed on December 18, 2022. URL: https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.2.1.4.
“Sumerian King List.” Ashmolean Museum Oxford. Accessed on December 18, 2022. URL: https://www.ashmolean.org/sumerian-king-list
“The Birth-Legend of Sargon.” ETANA.org. Accessed on December 23, 2022. URL: http://etana.org/node/578
Browne, O'Brien. "The Composite Bow: The Medieval Precursor to the Riffle." Warfare History Network. Accessed on December 26, 2022. URL: https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/the-composite-bow-the-medieval-precursor-to-the-rifle/
Dalley, Stephanie. "Sargon." Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed on December 26, 2022. URL: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sargon
Geeslin, Brian. "Sargon the Great and the World's First Professional Army." Warfare History Network. Accessed on December 26, 2022. URL: https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/professional-soldiers-king-sargon-of-akkads-expanding-empire/
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