Difference between revisions of "Akkadian Empire" - New World Encyclopedia
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| − | The '''Akkadian Empire''' usually refers to the Semitic speaking state that grew up around the city of Akkad north of Sumer, and reached its greatest extent under Sargon of Akkad. | + | |
| + | The '''Akkadian Empire''' usually refers to the Semitic speaking state that grew up around the city of Akkad north of Sumer, and reached its greatest extent under Sargon of Akkad (2296-2240). This was a flourishing civilization in one of the most fertile area of the globe, which fed into the later [[Babylonian Cicilization]]. Women appear to have been respected and to have played a significant role in the religious cultus. King Sargon was the first ruler to uniteb the peoples of Southern Mesopatamia into a single political unit. He established a strong, centralized state. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
| Line 11: | Line 10: | ||
Sargon was the son of La'ibum or Itti-Bel, and one legend related how he had been born in concealment and set adrift in an ark of bulrushes on the waters of the [[Euphrates]]. Here he was rescued and brought up by "Akki the husbandman"; but the day arrived at length when his true origin became known. Originally a cupbearer to a king of Kish with a Semitic name, Ur Zababa, the crown was set upon Sargon's head, and he entered upon a career of foreign conquest. Four times he invaded [[Syria]] and [[Canaan]], and spent three years thoroughly subduing the countries of "the west" to unite them with Mesopotamia "into a single empire." | Sargon was the son of La'ibum or Itti-Bel, and one legend related how he had been born in concealment and set adrift in an ark of bulrushes on the waters of the [[Euphrates]]. Here he was rescued and brought up by "Akki the husbandman"; but the day arrived at length when his true origin became known. Originally a cupbearer to a king of Kish with a Semitic name, Ur Zababa, the crown was set upon Sargon's head, and he entered upon a career of foreign conquest. Four times he invaded [[Syria]] and [[Canaan]], and spent three years thoroughly subduing the countries of "the west" to unite them with Mesopotamia "into a single empire." | ||
| − | Images of himself were erected on the shores of the Mediterranean in token of his victories, and cities and palaces were built at home with the spoils of the conquered lands. Elam and the northern part of Mesopotamia were also subjugated, and rebellions were put down Sumer itself. Contract tablets have been found dated in the years of the campaigns against Canaan and Sarlak, king of Gutium (Kurdistan); and copper is mentioned as being brought from Magan (probably modern Oman). | + | Images of himself were erected on the shores of the Mediterranean in token of his victories, and cities and palaces were built at home with the spoils of the conquered lands. Elam and the northern part of Mesopotamia were also subjugated, and rebellions were put down Sumer itself. Contract tablets have been found dated in the years of the campaigns against Canaan and Sarlak, king of Gutium (Kurdistan); and copper is mentioned as being brought from Magan (probably modern Oman). At one point, Sargon marched against Arabs in the South. His kingdom traded with India and Anatolia (Turkey). |
| − | Sargon's two sons and successors, Rimush and Manishtushu, were not so illustrious, and both were assassinated; but his grandson, Naram-Sin, followed up the earlier successes by marching into Magan, whose king he took captive. He assumed the imperial title of "King Naram-Sin, of the four quarters", and, like his grandfather, was addressed as "the god of Agade" (Akkad), reminiscent of the divine honours claimed by the Pharaohs of [[Ancient Egypt]]. | + | Sargon's two sons and successors, Rimush and Manishtushu, were not so illustrious, and both were assassinated; but his grandson, Naram-Sin (2213-2176), followed up the earlier successes by marching into Magan, whose king he took captive. He assumed the imperial title of "King Naram-Sin, of the four quarters", and, like his grandfather, was addressed as "the god of Agade" (Akkad), reminiscent of the divine honours claimed by the Pharaohs of [[Ancient Egypt]]. Sargon's heirs claimed to be 'kings of the four corners of the world'. There was some internal disturbance due to cities resenting their loss of independence. |
==Culture== | ==Culture== | ||
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The Akkadians worshiped a pantheon of Gods. These were conceived as having human form, and, like humans, they were at times wise, at times silly, at times hunerourous, at times angry. Their status differed, as each was associated with an aspect of nature and controlled the seasons. Principal deities included An, the Sky God, Enlil the air-god, Nanna the moon-god and Utu, the son-god. The gods also ruled through the king, Sargon, who was their representative, who outranked the priests of the temples. People were created to serve the gods, to clothes and to feed them. The Akkadian gods did not concen themselves with ethics. Sargon's mother may have been a Temple prostitute, possibly of Ishtar, the goddess of light, with whome the king may have had an annual sexual union during the New Year's | The Akkadians worshiped a pantheon of Gods. These were conceived as having human form, and, like humans, they were at times wise, at times silly, at times hunerourous, at times angry. Their status differed, as each was associated with an aspect of nature and controlled the seasons. Principal deities included An, the Sky God, Enlil the air-god, Nanna the moon-god and Utu, the son-god. The gods also ruled through the king, Sargon, who was their representative, who outranked the priests of the temples. People were created to serve the gods, to clothes and to feed them. The Akkadian gods did not concen themselves with ethics. Sargon's mother may have been a Temple prostitute, possibly of Ishtar, the goddess of light, with whome the king may have had an annual sexual union during the New Year's | ||
festival, the 'heiros gamos' (holy marriage). She was associated with war, with fertility and also bestowed authority of human rulers. The high priestess may have been the king's sister. Ishtar is also associated with the paradoxical emotions of joy and sadness, friendliness and hostility. She is said to have protected ale-houses and prostitutes. She was sometimes called Queen of the Universe. | festival, the 'heiros gamos' (holy marriage). She was associated with war, with fertility and also bestowed authority of human rulers. The high priestess may have been the king's sister. Ishtar is also associated with the paradoxical emotions of joy and sadness, friendliness and hostility. She is said to have protected ale-houses and prostitutes. She was sometimes called Queen of the Universe. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sargons daugher, Enheduanna was also high priestess of the moon god Nanna in Ur, although she complains of being driven from this position, possibkly because people resented her royal appointment, rather than the city's choice. She authored 42 hymns to the various deities, including one of the earliest descriptions of a goddess, Inanna with whom she speaks of enjoying a personal relationship. The poem starts as follows: | ||
| + | :Goddess of the fearsome divine powers, clad in terror, riding on the great divine powers, Inana, made complete by the strength of the holy ankar weapon, drenched in blood, rushing around in great battles, with shield resting on the ground, covered in storm and flood, great lady Inana, knowing well how to plan conflicts, you destroy mighty lands with arrow and strength and overpower lands [http://www-etcsl.orient.ox.ac.uk/section1/tr132.htm]. | ||
| + | |||
===Achievements=== | ===Achievements=== | ||
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The period between ca. 2100 B.C.E. and 2000 B.C.E. is sometimes called the 3rd dynasty of Ur or "Sumerian Renaissance", founded by Ur-Nammu (originally a general). Though documents again began to be written in Sumerian, this dynasty may actually have been Semitic; Sumerian was becoming a dead language, much as Latin later would be in Medieval [[Europe]]. The power of these kings extended to the Mediterranean. | The period between ca. 2100 B.C.E. and 2000 B.C.E. is sometimes called the 3rd dynasty of Ur or "Sumerian Renaissance", founded by Ur-Nammu (originally a general). Though documents again began to be written in Sumerian, this dynasty may actually have been Semitic; Sumerian was becoming a dead language, much as Latin later would be in Medieval [[Europe]]. The power of these kings extended to the Mediterranean. | ||
| − | After the fall of the Ur III dynasty owing to an Elamite invasion in 2004 B.C.E., [[Mesopotamia]] passed under foreign influence. This period is called Old Babylonian, and lasted from ca. 2000 B.C.E. until 1595 B.C.E. During the first centuries of this period, kings and people in high position often had Amorite names, and supreme power rested at Isin. The city of Babylon was given hegemony over Mesopotamia by king | + | After the fall of the Ur III dynasty owing to an Elamite invasion in 2004 B.C.E., [[Mesopotamia]] passed under foreign influence. This period is called Old Babylonian, and lasted from ca. 2000 B.C.E. until 1595 B.C.E. During the first centuries of this period, kings and people in high position often had Amorite names, and supreme power rested at Isin. The city of Babylon was given hegemony over Mesopotamia by king Hammurabi 1792 B.C.E. - 1750 B.C.E., famous for his law code. |
Revision as of 05:21, 14 July 2006
The Akkadian Empire usually refers to the Semitic speaking state that grew up around the city of Akkad north of Sumer, and reached its greatest extent under Sargon of Akkad (2296-2240). This was a flourishing civilization in one of the most fertile area of the globe, which fed into the later Babylonian Cicilization. Women appear to have been respected and to have played a significant role in the religious cultus. King Sargon was the first ruler to uniteb the peoples of Southern Mesopatamia into a single political unit. He established a strong, centralized state.
History
Rulers with Semitic names had already established themselves at Kish. One of them, contemporary with the last Sumerian ruler, Lugal-Zage-Si, was Alusarsid (or Urumus) who "subdued Elam and Barahs." But the fame of these early establishers of Semitic supremacy was far eclipsed by that of Sargon (Sharru-kin), who defeated and captured Lugal-Zage-Si, conquering his empire. A lengthy inscription of Sargon's son, Manishtushu, was discovered at Susa by J. de Morgan. The date of Sargon is placed by modern scholars around 2300 B.C.E. (although the later "archaeologist king" of Babylonia, Nabonidus, calculated it at 3800 B.C.E.).
Sargon was the son of La'ibum or Itti-Bel, and one legend related how he had been born in concealment and set adrift in an ark of bulrushes on the waters of the Euphrates. Here he was rescued and brought up by "Akki the husbandman"; but the day arrived at length when his true origin became known. Originally a cupbearer to a king of Kish with a Semitic name, Ur Zababa, the crown was set upon Sargon's head, and he entered upon a career of foreign conquest. Four times he invaded Syria and Canaan, and spent three years thoroughly subduing the countries of "the west" to unite them with Mesopotamia "into a single empire."
Images of himself were erected on the shores of the Mediterranean in token of his victories, and cities and palaces were built at home with the spoils of the conquered lands. Elam and the northern part of Mesopotamia were also subjugated, and rebellions were put down Sumer itself. Contract tablets have been found dated in the years of the campaigns against Canaan and Sarlak, king of Gutium (Kurdistan); and copper is mentioned as being brought from Magan (probably modern Oman). At one point, Sargon marched against Arabs in the South. His kingdom traded with India and Anatolia (Turkey).
Sargon's two sons and successors, Rimush and Manishtushu, were not so illustrious, and both were assassinated; but his grandson, Naram-Sin (2213-2176), followed up the earlier successes by marching into Magan, whose king he took captive. He assumed the imperial title of "King Naram-Sin, of the four quarters", and, like his grandfather, was addressed as "the god of Agade" (Akkad), reminiscent of the divine honours claimed by the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Sargon's heirs claimed to be 'kings of the four corners of the world'. There was some internal disturbance due to cities resenting their loss of independence.
Culture
Art
A finely executed bas relief representing Naram-Sin, and bearing a striking resemblance to early Egyptian art in many of its features, has been found at Diarbekr, in modern Turkey. Babylonian art, however, had already attained a high degree of excellence; two cylinder seals of the time of Sargon are among the most beautiful specimens of the gem-cutter's art ever discovered.
Religion
The Akkadians worshiped a pantheon of Gods. These were conceived as having human form, and, like humans, they were at times wise, at times silly, at times hunerourous, at times angry. Their status differed, as each was associated with an aspect of nature and controlled the seasons. Principal deities included An, the Sky God, Enlil the air-god, Nanna the moon-god and Utu, the son-god. The gods also ruled through the king, Sargon, who was their representative, who outranked the priests of the temples. People were created to serve the gods, to clothes and to feed them. The Akkadian gods did not concen themselves with ethics. Sargon's mother may have been a Temple prostitute, possibly of Ishtar, the goddess of light, with whome the king may have had an annual sexual union during the New Year's festival, the 'heiros gamos' (holy marriage). She was associated with war, with fertility and also bestowed authority of human rulers. The high priestess may have been the king's sister. Ishtar is also associated with the paradoxical emotions of joy and sadness, friendliness and hostility. She is said to have protected ale-houses and prostitutes. She was sometimes called Queen of the Universe.
Sargons daugher, Enheduanna was also high priestess of the moon god Nanna in Ur, although she complains of being driven from this position, possibkly because people resented her royal appointment, rather than the city's choice. She authored 42 hymns to the various deities, including one of the earliest descriptions of a goddess, Inanna with whom she speaks of enjoying a personal relationship. The poem starts as follows:
- Goddess of the fearsome divine powers, clad in terror, riding on the great divine powers, Inana, made complete by the strength of the holy ankar weapon, drenched in blood, rushing around in great battles, with shield resting on the ground, covered in storm and flood, great lady Inana, knowing well how to plan conflicts, you destroy mighty lands with arrow and strength and overpower lands [1].
Achievements
The empire was bound together by roads, along which there was a regular postal service. Clay seals that took the place of stamps bear the names of Sargon and his son. A cadastral survey seems also to have been instituted, and one of the documents relating to it states that a certain Uru-Malik, whose name appears to indicate his Canaanite origin, was governor of the land of the Amorites, or Amurru as the semi-nomadic people of Syria and Canaan were called in Akkadian. It is probable that the first collection of astronomical observations and terrestrial omens was made for a library established by Sargon.
Collapse
Naram-Sin recorded the Akkadian's wars against the Armani or Armeni people in Ararat. The Armeni is a reference to Armen who was the ruler of the Armenian tribe (Armen's followers, the Armenians, were refered to as Armeni or Armens at the time). It is also unknown if Sargon, grandfather of Naram-Sin, and Manishtushu, father of Naram-Sin, also faught against the Armeni people of Ararat during their rule of the Akkadian Empire. It is highly probable however considering that Naram-Sin recorded multiple wars with the Armeni people of Ararat.
It is still unknown at this time if the wars with the Armeni people of Ararat contributed to the collapse of the Akkadian kingdom. However, the Akkadian Empire was already starting to crumble during Shar-kali-sharri's reign, the son of Naram-Sin, and by the end of Shar-kali-sharri's reign, the Akkadian Empire collapsed outright from the invasion of barbarians of the Zagros mountains known as "Gutians".
After the Akkadian Empire
The fall of the empire established by Sargon seems to have been as sudden as its rise, and little is known about the Gutian period. From the fall of Akkad until around 2100 B.C.E., there is much that is still dark. A relatively well known king from that period is Gudea, king of Lagash.
The period between ca. 2100 B.C.E. and 2000 B.C.E. is sometimes called the 3rd dynasty of Ur or "Sumerian Renaissance", founded by Ur-Nammu (originally a general). Though documents again began to be written in Sumerian, this dynasty may actually have been Semitic; Sumerian was becoming a dead language, much as Latin later would be in Medieval Europe. The power of these kings extended to the Mediterranean.
After the fall of the Ur III dynasty owing to an Elamite invasion in 2004 B.C.E., Mesopotamia passed under foreign influence. This period is called Old Babylonian, and lasted from ca. 2000 B.C.E. until 1595 B.C.E. During the first centuries of this period, kings and people in high position often had Amorite names, and supreme power rested at Isin. The city of Babylon was given hegemony over Mesopotamia by king Hammurabi 1792 B.C.E. - 1750 B.C.E., famous for his law code.
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