HIST 106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Enlil, Cup-Bearer, Shamash
Document Summary
Semitic-language tribes were to the north and south of sumer, very hostile. Long history of trade with mesopotamian civilizations. Would show up to sumer with meat, wool, cheese, in exchange for feeding of. In bad times, semites sneaked herds onto fields before harvest. In really bad times, they would pillage and raid sumerian cities herds with leftover grain stalks. At some point after 3000 bc, a band of semites settled in meso, moved 60 miles upstream of sumer --> akkadians, settled in akkad. Retained some aspects of culture, such as their gods. 2270 bc: sargon - ruler of akkad, set out for empire assimilated to sumerian culture. Washed ashore on gardner"s land, decided the baby was a gift from the gods, Sargon grew up in kish, he served the king, ur-zababa. He was the cupbearer, made sure wine wasn"t poisoned. Managed to seize power in kish after death of ur-zababa.
