The Legend of Sargon of Akkade

1. Sargon, the mighty king, king of Akkade am I, 2. My mother was lowly; my father I did not know; 3. The brother of my father dwelt in the mountain. . My !ity is A"u#iranu, whi!h is situated on the bank of the $urattu %&u#hrates', (. My lowly mother !on!ei)ed me, in se!ret she brought me forth. *. She #la!ed me in a basket of reeds, she !losed my entran!e with bitumen, +. She !ast me u#on the ri)ers whi!h did not o)erflow me. ,. The ri)er !arried me, it brought me to A--i, the irrigator. .. A--i, the irrigator, in the goodness of his heart lifted me out, 1/. A--i, the irrigator, as his own son brought me u#; 11. A--i, the irrigator, as his gardener a##ointed me. 12. 0hen I was a gardener the goddess Ishtar lo)ed me, 13. And for four years I ruled the kingdom. 1 . The bla!k1headed #eo#les I ruled, I go)erned; 1(. Mighty mountains with a2es of bron"e I destroyed 345. 1*. I as!ended the u##er mountains; 1+. I burst through the lower mountains. 1,. The !ountry of the sea I besieged three times; 1.. 6ilmun I !a#tured 345. 2/. 7nto the great 6ur1ilu I went u#, I . . . . . . . . . 21 . . . . . . . . . .I altered. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22. 0hatsoe)er king shall be e2alted after me,

23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . 8et him rule, let him go)ern the bla!k1headed #eo#les; 2(. Mighty mountains with a2es of bron"e let him destroy; 2*. 8et him as!end the u##er mountains, 2+. 8et him break through the lower mountains; 2,. The !ountry of the sea let him besiege three times; 2.. 6ilmun let him !a#ture; 3/. To great 6ur1ilu let him go u#.