Sargon

Sargon of Akkad was a ruler who created what is often called the world's first empire. Around 2340 BCE, he conquered the Sumerian city-states of southern Mesopotamia and brought them under one government. Before Sargon, each city had its own king and often fought its neighbors. Sargon ruled from a city called Akkad, but archaeologists have never found where it was. His empire stretched across much of Mesopotamia. Sargon put loyal officials in charge of cities and kept one of the first full-time armies. His language, Akkadian, spread across the region and was written in cuneiform. A famous legend says that as a baby he was placed in a basket and sent down a river, then found and raised by a gardener. Historians treat that story as a legend, not fact.

Key facts

• Sargon conquered the Sumerian city-states around 2340 BCE.
• His Akkadian Empire is often called the world's first empire.
• The location of his capital, Akkad, has never been found.