Naram-Sin cramped for battle-axe swinging space

 

by

 

Damien F. Mackey

 

  

 

 

The coalitional assault against Naram-Sin is known as “The Great Revolt”.

 

Now, Sargon of Akkad also faced, and overcame, a “revolt”.

 

  

 

 

 

M. Van de Mieroop tells of a great battle fought by Naram-Sin (A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000 – 323 BC, Blackwell, 2004, p. 66):

 

The most elaborate description of an uprising derives from the reign of Naram-Sin. He was confronted by two coalitions of Babylonian cities: a northern one under Iphur-Kish, king of Kish, and a southern one under Amar-grid, king of Uruk.

That even the region near the capital participated in the opposition to Akkad is a sign that the idea of centralized rule was intolerable everywhere. The number of rebel cities was great, not a single major city was absent. ….

 

The battles are described as taking place in the open field and between two well-organized armies with numerous men.

…. Naram-Sin claimed victory in a quick succession of battles, and it was probably after this that he proclaimed himself a god.

[End of quote]

 

Here we have seemingly - in conventional terms - a war involving three large Babylonian coalitional entities: (i) Akkad against (ii) Kish and (iii) Uruk.

 

That does not leave King Naram-Sin much geographical room to swing his mighty battle-axe.

 

Van de Mieroop seems to express some surprise: “That even the region near the capital participated in the opposition to Akkad …”.

 

But was Naram-Sin’s capital city of Akkad (or Agade) really situated closely adjacent to his “opposition”, as Van de Mieroop thinks?

The essential problem is that the city of Akkad has never been found in Babylonia.

So historians may need to stop referring to the Akkadians as “Babylonians”.

 

The coalitional assault against Naram-Sin is known as “The Great Revolt”.

Now, Sargon of Akkad also faced, and overcame a “revolt”.

Therefore I must now ask: Were these the same revolt? And was Sargon of Akkad, Naram-Sin?

 

We read about the revolt against Sargon at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargon_of_Akkad

 

The Chronicle of Early Kings reports that revolts broke out throughout the area under the last years of his overlordship:

 

Afterward in his [Sargon's] old age all the lands revolted against him, and they besieged him in Akkad; and Sargon went onward to battle and defeated them; he accomplished their overthrow, and their widespreading host he destroyed. Afterward he attacked the land of Subartu in his might, and they submitted to his arms, and Sargon settled that revolt, and defeated them; he accomplished their overthrow, and their widespreading host he destroyed, and he brought their possessions into Akkad. The soil from the trenches of Babylon [sic] he removed, and the boundaries of Akkad he made like those of Babylon. 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 sun they opposed him and gave him no rest.^[45]

[End of quotes]

 

Naram-Sin, too, like Sargon, (i) defeated Subartu: “In the year in which Naram-Sin was victorious against Subartu …”: https://cdli.ucla.edu/tools/yearnames/html/t2k3.htm and, like Sargon, (ii) incurred the wrath of the gods, and he, like Sargon, (iii) suffered famine: https://www.ancient.eu/article/748/the-curse-of-agade-naram-sins-battle-with-the-gods/

The Curse of Agade is a story dated to the Ur III Period of Mesopotamia (2047-1750 BCE) though thought to be somewhat older in origin. It tells the story of the Akkadian king Naram-Sin (reigned 2261-2224 BCE) and his confrontation with the gods, particularly the god Enlil. … There is widespread famine ….