Sargon of Akkad: From Humble Gardener to King of the Universe

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In this episode of pplpod, we journey back to the 24th century BC to profile Sargon of Akkad, the man often identified as the first person in recorded history to rule an empire. We examine how a figure of uncertain origins founded the "Sargonic" dynasty and became the model for Mesopotamian kings for two millennia.

Key topics discussed in this episode:

• The Legend of the Basket: We analyze the Neo-Assyrian "birth legend" in which Sargon is born to a high priestess in secret, sealed in a bitumen-coated basket, and cast into the river—a narrative archetype later seen in the story of Moses.

• The Rise to Power: We trace Sargon’s path from being a gardener and cup-bearer for King Ur-Zababa of Kish to usurping the throne and defeating rivals like Lugal-zage-si, whom he famously led in a collar to the gate of Enlil.

• Establishing the Empire: We discuss how Sargon unified the Sumerian city-states and expanded his territory from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean, symbolically "washing his weapons in the sea" to mark his dominance. We also look at his innovation of a standing army, with 5,400 men who "ate bread daily before him".

• The Name and Dynasty: We explore the meaning of his Akkadian name, Šarru-ukīn ("the king is legitimate"), which may have been adopted to justify his rule. We also touch upon his family, including his powerful daughter Enheduanna and his grandson Naram-Sin.

Join us to learn how Sargon created a centralized government over a multi-ethnic territory and why later Babylonian rulers looked back on his reign as a golden age .

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