The Curse of Agade: Naram-Sin's Fictional Battle with the Gods

"The Curse of Agade is a poem dated to the Ur III period of Mesopotamia (circa 2112 to circa 2004 BCE), though it is thought to be somewhat older in origin. It tells the story of the Akkadian king Naram-Sin (reign 2254-2218 BCE) and his confrontation with the gods, particularly the god Enlil."

"The poem belongs to the genre of Mesopotamian naru literature in which a famous historical person (usually a king) is featured in an imaginative tale in order to impress upon an audience some important religious or cultural value. In this case, that would be how one should properly interact with the gods."

"The Curse of Agade, as noted, is part of a Mesopotamian literary tradition known as naru literature, which features a famous person from history as the main character in a didactic tale that most often concerns humanity's relationship with the gods. The Curse of Agade uses the fall of Akkad for educational purposes: how one should, or should not, behave toward the gods."

The Curse of Agade is a poem from the Ur III period of Mesopotamia (circa 2112-2004 BCE) that recounts King Naram-Sin's confrontation with the gods, particularly Enlil. Naram-Sin was the greatest Akkadian ruler after his grandfather Sargon of Akkad, expanding the empire's boundaries, power, and military strength. The poem belongs to naru literature, a Mesopotamian genre featuring historical figures in imaginative tales to convey religious and cultural values. The work uses Akkad's fall as an educational tool demonstrating proper and improper behavior toward the gods. Stories of Akkadian kings were popular throughout Mesopotamia and were collected by King Ashurbanipal in his famous library at Nineveh during the 7th century BCE.

Read at World History Encyclopedia