The Sargon legend

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Segment A

To ...... the sanctuary like a cargo-ship; to...... its great furnaces; to see that its canals ...... waters of joy, to see that the hoes till the arable tracts and that ...... the fields; to turn the house of Kic, which was like a haunted town, into a living settlement again -- its king, shepherd Ur- Zababa, rose like Utu over the house of Kic. An and Enlil, however, authoritatively (?) decided (?) by their holy command to alter his term of reigning and to remove the prosperity of the palace.

Then Sargon -- his city was the city of ......, his father was La'ibum, his mother ......., Sargon ...... with happy heart. Since he was born .......

unknown number of lines missing

Segment B

One day, after the evening had arrived and Sargon had brought the regular deliveries to the palace, Ur- Zababa was sleeping (and dreaming) in the holy bed-chamber, his holy residence. He realized what the dream was about, but did not put into words, did not discuss it with anyone. After Sargon had received the regular deliveries for the palace, Ur- Zababa appointed him cupbearer, putting him in charge of the drinks cupboard. Holy Inana did not cease to stand by him.

After five or ten days had passed, king Ur- Zababa ...... and became frightened in his residence. Like a lion he urinated, sprinkling his legs, and the urine contained blood and pus. He was troubled, he was afraid like a fish floundering in brackish water.

It was then that the cupbearer of Ezina's wine-house, Sargon, lay down not to sleep, but lay down to dream. In the dream, holy Inana drowned Ur- Zababa in a river of blood. The sleeping Sargon groaned and gnawed the ground. When king Ur- Zababa heard about this groaning, he was brought into the king's holy presence, Sargon was brought into the presence of Ur- Zababa (who said:) "Cupbearer, was a dream revealed to you in the night?" Sargon answered his king: "My king, this is my dream, which I will tell you about: There was a young woman, who was as high as the heavens and as broad as the earth. She was firmly set as the base of a wall. For me, she drowned you in a great river, a river of blood."

Ur- Zababa chewed his lips, he became seriously afraid. He spoke to ......, his chancellor: "My royal sister, holy Inana, is going to change (?) my finger into a ...... of blood; she will drown Sargon, the cupbearer, in the great river. Belic-tikal, chief smith, man of my choosing, who can write tablets, I will give you orders, let my orders be carried out! Let my advice be followed! Now then, when the cupbearer has delivered my bronze hand-mirror (?) to you, in the E-sikil, the fated house, throw them (the mirror and Sargon) into the mould like statues."

Belic-tikal heeded his king's words and prepared the moulds in the E-sikil, the fated house. The king spoke to Sargon: "Go and deliver my bronze hand-mirrors (?) to the chief smith!" Sargon left the palace of Ur- Zababa. Holy Inana, however, did not cease to stand at his right hand side, and before he had come within five or ten nindan of the E-sikil, the fated house, holy Inana turned around toward him and blocked his way, (saying:) "The E-sikil is a holy house! No one polluted with blood should enter it!" Thus he met the chief smith of the king only at the gate of the fated house. After he delivered the king's bronze hand-mirror(?) to the chief smith, Belic-tikal, the chief smith, ...... and threw it into the mould like statues.

After five or ten days had passed, Sargon came into the presence of Ur- Zababa, his king; he came into the palace, firmly founded like a great mountain. King Ur- Zababa ...... and became frightened in his residence. He realized what was it about, but did not put into words, did not discuss it with anyone. Ur- Zababa became frightened in the bed-chamber, his holy residence. He realized what was it about, but did not put into words, did not discuss it with anyone.

In those days, although writing words on tablets existed, putting tablets into envelopes did not yet exist. King Ur- Zababa dispatched Sargon, the creature of the gods, to Lugal-zage-si in Unug with a message written on clay, which was about murdering Sargon.

unknown number of lines missing

Segment C

With the wife of Lugal-zage-si ....... She (?) ...... her feminity as a shelter. Lugal-zage-si did not ...... the envoy. "Come! He directed his steps to brick-built E-ana!" Lugal-zage-si did not grasp it, he did not talk to the envoy. But as soon as he did talk to the envoy ....... The lord said "Alas!" and sat in the dust.

Lugal-zage-si replied to the envoy: "Envoy, Sargon does not yield."After he has submitted, Sargon ...... Lugal-zage-si ....... Sargon ...... Lugal-zage-si ....... Why ...... Sargon ......?

Evidencerbs from Ki-en-gir (Sumer)

c. 2000 BC

1. Whoever has walked with truth generates life.

2. Do not cut off the neck of that which has had its neck cut off.

3. That which is given in submission becomes a medium of defiance.

4. The destruction is from his own personal god; he knows no savior.

5. Wealth is hard to come by, but poverty is always at hand.

6. He acquires many things, he must keep close watch over them.

7. A boat bent on honest pursuits sailed downstream with the wind; Utu has sought out honest ports for it.

8. He who drinks too much beer must drink water.

9. He who eats too much will not be able to sleep.

10. Since my wife is at the outdoor shrine, and furthermore since my mother is at the river, I shall die of hunger, he says.

11. May the goddess Inanna cause a hot-limited wife to lie down for you; May she bestow upon you broad-armed sons; May she seek out for you a place of Happiness.

12. The fox could not build his own house, and so he came to the house of his friend as a conqueror.

13. The fox, having urinated into the sea, said at the whole of the sea is my urine.

14. The poor man nibbles at his silver.

15. The poor are the silent ones of the land.

16. All the households of the poor are not equally submissive.

17. A poor man does not strike his son a single blow; he treasures him forever.

Source:

Scanned by: J. S. Arkenberg, Dept. of History, Cal. State Fullerton. Prof. Arkenberg has modernized the text.

Rulers of Lagash

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After the flood had swept over and brought about the destruction of the countries; when mankind was made to endure, and the seed of mankind was preserved and the black-headed people all rose; when An and Enlil called the name of mankind and established rulership, but kingship and the crown of the city had not yet come out from heaven, and Nin-jirsu had not yet established for the multitude of well-guarded (?) people the pickaxe, the spade, the earth basket and the plough, which mean life for the Land -- in those days, the carefree youth of man lasted for 100 years and, following his upbringing, he lasted for another 100 years.

However, he did not do any work. He became smaller and smaller, ......; his sheep died (?) in the sheepfold. In those days, because the water of Lagac was held back, there was famine in Jirsu. Canals were not dug, the levees and ditches were not cleaned. The large arable tracts were not ......, there was no water to irrigate abundantly all the cultivated fields: the people relied on rain; Acnan did not make dappled barley grow, furrows were not yet opened, they bore no yield; the high plain was not tilled, it bore no yield.

None of the countries with numerous people libated emmer beer, liquor, ......, sweet liquor or ...... for the gods. They did not till large fields for them with the plough.

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...... the canal. ...... its (?) fields.

In order to dig canals, to clean the levees and ditches, to ...... the large arable tracts, to ...... all the cultivated fields, he established for the people the pickaxe, the spade, the earth basket, and the plough, which mean life for the Land. Then he turned his attention to making barley sprout. He made the people stand before the maiden, and they raised their heads day and night, at the appointed times. Before Acnan who makes the seeds grow, they prostrated themselves and she made them grow (?). Before (?) Acnan who makes the dappled barley grow, they ......

33 lines missing or uncertain

...... acted for ...... years. ...... dug the canal ......, he acted for 2760 years.

En-akigalaguba: his personal god was ......, he dug the canal Nijin-jic-tukuam, he acted for 1200 years. In those days there was no writing, ......, canals were not dug, earth baskets were not carried. In those days, ......, the people ...... offerings of refined gold

2 lines uncertain

a good shepherd rose over the Land; he gave them (?) ...... as a gift. En- Ninjirsu-ki-aj, the son of En-akigalaguba: he acted for 1320 years. En- Enlile-ki-aj, the son of En- Ninjirsu-ki-aj: he acted for 1800 years. Ur- Bau the son of En- Enlile-ki-aj: he acted for 900 years.

A-gal: his personal god was Ig-alim, he acted for 660 years. Kue (?), the son of A-gal: he acted for 1200 years. Ama-alim, son of Kue (?): ......, he acted for 600 years.

12 lines unclear or missing, the lines list further rulers with unrecoverable names and length of rule.

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he dug the Mah canal, the ...... canal, the Pirijgin-jen canal, the ...... canal, the Pirij canal at the mouth of the Lugal canal, the Gana-hili-ana canal, the ...... canal, and the Nance-pada canal. To care, single-handedly, for the great arable lands, he dug irrigation ditches and ......, he acted for 2220 years. Ur- Nance, the son of ......, who built the E-Sirara, her temple of happiness and Nijin, her beloved city, acted for 1080 years. Ane-tum, the son of Ur- Nance, in whose ...... place the gods stood, who ...... the land register of great Enlil: his personal god was Cul-utul, he acted for 690 years. ......, the son of Ane-tum: he acted for X+360 years.

En-entar-zid: his god was Mes-an-du (?), of the seed of ancient days, who had grown together with the city, he acted for 990 years. ......, the son of En-entar-zid: he dug the canal Urmah-banda, and the canal Tabta-kug-jal, his personal god was Mes-an-du (?); his master Nin-jirsu commanded him to build his temple; he acted for 960 years.

En- Enlile-su: he acted for 600 years. ......, the son of En- Enlile-su: his personal god was Ninazu; he acted for 660 years. ......: he acted for 1110 years.

Puzur- Ninlil: he acted for X x 60 + 1 years. En- Mes-an-du (?), the son of Puzur- Ninlil: his personal god was ......, he acted for 120 years. Dadu, the son of En- Mes-an-du (?): he acted for 160 years. Tuggur, the son of Dadu: he acted for 160 years. ......: he acted for 120 years.

Puzur- Mama, the scribe of Ninki: his personal god was Zazaru; he acted for ...... years. Lamku-nijgena (?), the administrator of Puzur- Mama, who built the wall of Jirsu, his ......, and the Tirac palace in Lagac: he acted for 280 years. Henjal, the son of Lamku-nijgena (?): his god was Pabilsaj (?), he acted for 140 years. ......, the son of Henjal: he acted for 144 years.

Ur- Ninmarki, the scribe and scholar: ......, his personal gods were Haya and Nisaba, he acted for X + 20 years. Ur- Ninjirsu, the son of Ur- Ninmarki: he acted for X x 60 years. Ur- Bau, the scribe of Ur- Ninjirsu, who ...... in the assembly: he acted for X + 30 years. Gudea, the younger brother of Ur- Bau, ......, who was not the son of his mother nor the son of his father: he acted for ...... years.

Written in the school. Nisaba be praised!

Poem of Utu-hejal

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Enlil, the king of all the lands, entrusted Utu-hejal, the mighty man, the king of Unug, the king of the four quarters, the king whose orders cannot be countermanded, with wiping out the name of Gutium, the fanged (?) snake of the mountains, who acted with violence against the gods, who carried off the kingship of Sumer to foreign lands, who filled Sumer with wickedness, who took away spouses from the married and took away children from parents, who made wickedness and violence normal in the Land.

He went to his lady, Inana, and prayed to her: "My lady, lioness in the battle, who butts the foreign lands, Enlil has entrusted me with bringing back the kingship to Sumer. May you be my help!"

The enemy troops established themselves everywhere. Tirigan, the king of Gutium ...... the mouths of the channels (?). Nobody came out of his city to face him; he already occupied both part of the Tigris. In the south, in Sumer, he blocked the water from the fields, in the uplands he closed off the roads. Because of him the grass grew high on the highways of the land.

But the king, endowed with power by Enlil, chosen by Inana with her (1 ms. adds: holy) heart -- Utu-hejal, the mighty man, came out from Unug to face him and set up camp (?) at the temple of Ickur. He addressed a speech to the citizens of his city: " Enlil has given Gutium to me and my lady Inana will be my help! Dumuzid Ama-ucumgal-ana has declared "It is a matter for me!" and assigned Gilgamec, the son of Nin-sun to me as a constable!" The citizens of Unug and Kulaba rejoiced and followed him with one accord. He lined up his elite troops.

After departing from the temple of Ickur, on the fourth day he set up camp (?) in Najsu on the Surungal canal, and on the fifth day he set up camp (?) at the shrine at Ili-tapp He captured Ur- Nin-azu and Nabi- Enlil, generals of Tirigan sent as envoys to Sumer, and put them in handcuffs.

After departing from the shrine at Ili-tapp on the sixth day he set up camp (?) at Karkara. He went to Ickur and prayed to him: "O Ickur, Enlil has provided me with weapons, may you be my help!" In the middle of that night, ...... he departed (?) and above Adab he went to the rising (?) Utu and prayed to him: "O Utu, Enlil has given Gutium to me, may you be my help!" He laid a trap (?) there behind the Gutian. Utu-hejal, the mighty man, defeated their generals.

Then Tirigan the king of Gutium ran away alone on foot. He thought himself safe in Dabrum, where he fled to save his life; but since the people of Dabrum knew that Utu-hejal was a king endowed with power by Enlil, they did not let Tirigan go, and an envoy of Utu-hejal arrested Tirigan together with his wife and children in Dabrum. He put handcuffs and a blindfold on him. Before Utu, Utu-hejal made him lie at his feet and placed his foot on his neck. He made Gutium, the fanged (?) snake of the mountains drink again from the crevices (?), he ......, he ...... and he ...... boat.

He brought back the kingship of Sumer.