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The ancient Sumerian poem titled Sargon and Ur-Zababa narrates the dramatic account of how Sargon of Akkad ascended to power. Sargon reigned from approximately 2334 to 2279 BCE and successfully established the first great empire in Mesopotamia. Although contemporary scholars now classify this work as a folktale, its original audience likely regarded it as true history. The narrative employs classic literary devices, including prophetic dreams and the machinations of a fearful ruler. These elements function to explain how a humble cupbearer could rise to become the master of the known world. While the precise date of the poem's creation remains unknown, it was probably composed or recorded during the Ur III period, which lasted from roughly 2112 to 2004 BCE. Kings of this later era, particularly Ur-Nammu and Shulgi, frequently attempted to link their own authority to the legendary founders Sargon and his grandson, Naram-Sin. The enduring popularity of this tale is evident because copies were discovered in the ruins of Mesopotamian cities dating to the 7th century BCE. This indicates that stories regarding the Akkadian founder were still being read over a thousand years after Sargon's death, even during the era of the Assyrian Empire. Unfortunately, the poem is not fully preserved and exists only in fragmented pieces. Scholars, including Jeremy Black, have reconstructed the text from two primary manuscripts: a fragment from Uruk and a more complete tablet found in Nippur.
This poem differs significantly from another famous work known as The Legend of Sargon of Akkad. That alternative story focuses on Sargon's mythical birth and childhood, describing him as the secret son of a priestess who was set adrift on the Euphrates River inside a basket. In contrast, Sargon and Ur-Zababa concentrates on a specific event: Sargon's rescue from the dangerous plots of King Ur-Zababa of Kish and his divinely ordered replacement of that monarch. Almost nothing is known for certain about the actual life of Sargon. The information available to us comes from a genre of Mesopotamian literature known as naru, which is often considered the world's first historical fiction. These stories cast famous figures, usually kings, as the protagonists of fictionalized tales. The Legend of Sargon of Akkad stands as a perfect example of this genre, depicting Sargon's miraculous rise from humble beginnings. Jeremy Black explains that such folktale motifs were common in Sumerian literature, noting that "Little is known about Sargon's origins. According to a much later Akkadian legend... he was the illicit child of a priestess... Such folktale motifs were also incorporated into Sumerian literature, including, in Sargon and Ur-Zababa, instances of dreams which foretell the future."
Sargon then broke his pact with Lugalzagesi, defeated him in battle, and imprisoned him. After creating a professionally trained army and consolidating his power, Sargon revolutionized Mesopotamian warfare by leading his army on a campaign of conquest throughout the entire region, eventually establishing the Akkadian Empire (2350/2334-2154 BCE), which would become legendary down through the time of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (912-612 BCE). Scholar Paul Kriwaczek notes:
In the poem, Sargon is favored by the gods. They arrange for him to be raised by a gardener named Akki and later to serve as the royal cupbearer for King Ur-Zababa of Kish. The gods have already decreed that Ur-Zababa's reign must come to an end. Historically, this period was dominated by Lugalzagesi of Umma, a ruler who was conquering city-states to build his own empire. However, within the poetic narrative, the central conflict exists between Sargon and his current master, Ur-Zababa. Sargon eventually broke his alliance with Lugalzagesi, defeated him in battle, and took him prisoner. He then revolutionized warfare in the region by creating a professional army and launching a massive campaign of conquest. This established the Akkadian Empire, which existed from approximately 2350 or 2334 to 2154 BCE. This empire became legendary for centuries, with Sargon the Great regarded as a semi-sacred figure. Scholar Paul Kriwaczek observes the lasting impact of Sargon's legacy: "For at least 1,500 years after his death, Sargon the Great... was regarded as a semi-sacred figure, the patron saint of all subsequent empires in the Mesopotamian realm." This enduring fame is demonstrated by later Assyrian kings, Sargon I and Sargon II, who adopted his royal name to associate themselves with his legendary power.
The poem begins by narrating how the gods selected Sargon to overthrow Ur-Zababa, even though Sargon appears content as a loyal servant at the start. The opening fragment describes the glorious city of Kish, which Ur-Zababa had restored from ruin. Despite this great achievement, the chief gods An and Enlil had already decided that his rule must terminate. The most complete segment of the poem, Segment B, begins with a terrifying dream experienced by Ur-Zababa. Although the specific details of the dream are lost, the king interpreted it as a sign of his impending downfall. The goddess Inanna had chosen to support Sargon, and Sargon also experienced a dream. In Sargon's vision, the goddess Inanna drowned Ur-Zababa in a river of blood. Ur-Zababa misunderstood the omen completely. He believed that Inanna wished for Sargon's death, not his own. He devised a secret plot, ordering Sargon to deliver a bronze hand-mirror to the chief smith at the temple foundry. His secret instruction was for the smith to throw Sargon into a casting mold. Unaware of this treachery, Sargon proceeded on his errand. At the temple gate, however, Inanna blocked his path, declaring that he could not enter because he was "polluted with blood." This likely referred to the symbolic pollution from his dream of the blood river. Sargon completed his delivery and returned unharmed, which only deepened Ur-Zababa's fear as he realized the gods were protecting Sargon.
Desperate, Ur-Zababa sent Sargon as a messenger to King Lugalzagesi in Uruk. The king gave Sargon a sealed clay tablet that allegedly proposed a peace treaty. In reality, the message instructed Lugalzagesi to kill the bearer. The final fragment, Segment C, is badly damaged. It suggests that Sargon may have had an affair with Lugalzagesi's wife, but for unknown reasons, Lugalzagesi ignored both this and Ur-Zababa's murderous request, sparing Sargon's life. The poem's conclusion is largely lost, but it hints at Lugalzagesi's eventual realization that Sargon would replace him as well. This aligns with the historical record, where Sargon's defeat of Lugalzagesi was a key step in founding his empire.
The following excerpt from The Literature of Ancient Sumer, translated by Jeremy Black and his colleagues, illustrates the dream sequence. Ellipses indicate missing text in the original manuscript.
B.12-19: 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 Inanna 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?" B.20-24: 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."
Although modern scholars categorize Sargon and Ur-Zababa as a folktale, it likely served as both history and popular entertainment in its own time. Scribes in ancient Mesopotamia were trained not only to copy such texts but also to memorize and recite them. Scholars suggest these compositions could have been performed orally by illiterate storytellers, becoming part of a lasting performance tradition. The poems about Sargon and his dynasty were copied and recited for centuries. Paul Kriwaczek notes that many surviving fragments "read like dictation taken down as a record of an oral performance." He proposes that "bards and other popular entertainers went on performing epic tales about Sargon and his dynasty for centuries after his lifetime."
In Sargon and Ur-Zababa, the protagonist is portrayed as a humble and faithful servant, blissfully unaware of the schemes against him and the grand destiny the gods have planned. The historical record confirms Sargon's identity as a formidable conqueror and empire-builder. Yet the legends that flourished after his death preserved a different image: that of an unassuming man, favored by the gods, whose devotion earned him not only earthly power but also a form of immortality through stories that were told and retold long after his reign ended.