Akkad was a region of northern
Mesopotamia,
between
Assyria to the northwest and
Sumer to the south, for
the period in
ancient history before the time of
Babylonia.
Akkad was settled by people speaking the
Akkadian language.
Akkad is also an alternative name for
Agade, a leading city of the region.
Babylonia was formed out of the combined territories of Akkad and Sumer, with
the Akkadian language evolving to form the language of Babylonia and
the Sumerian language falling into disuse.
Written records are not found in the language of Akkad until the time
of Sargon of Akkad. While Sargon is traditionally cited as the first
ruler of a combined empire of Akkad and Sumer, more recent work
suggests that a Sumerian expansion began under a previous king,
Lugal-zage-si of Uruk[?]. However Sargon took this process further,
conquering many of the surrounding regions to create an empire that
reached as far as the Mediterranean Sea and Anatolia.
In the later Assyro-Babylonian literature the name Akkadu appears
as part of the royal title in connexion with Sumer; viz.
non-Semitic: lugal Kengi (ki) Uru (ki) = sar mat Sumeri u
Akkadi, "king of Sumer and Akkad," which appears to have
meant simply "king of Babylonia."
Sources
- based on an article from 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
External links
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