CITY - STATE LAGASH

The lord of Lagash was the god Nin-Girsu and his wife the goddess Baba.

For a long time it was believed that the ancient city of Lagash corresponded to the ancient city of Tello (ancient Girsu), but now scientists localize it in Tel El-Hibba, a grandiose city of 480 hectares, 20 km southeast of Tello and 22 km east of the modern city of Shatra . The settlement arose here in the era.

75 km. from Ur spread the city of Girsu, which later became the capital of the city-state of Lagash.

Sarzek discovered the ruins of Lagash, and in them - a huge, well-systematized archive, consisting of more than 20 thousand cuneiform tablets and lying in the ground for almost four millennia. It was one of the largest libraries of antiquity.

As it turned out, Lagash was in many ways atypical for the cities of Sumer: it was a cluster of settlements that surrounded the previously established main core of the city. The Sumerian kings of the country of Lagash (SHIR.BUR.LA ki) ruled over an area ca. 3000 km², south of the country of Sumer proper.

A whole gallery of sculptures of the rulers of the city was discovered in Lagash, including the now famous group of sculptural portraits of the ruler Gudea.

From the inscriptions carved on them and from the texts of clay tablets, scientists learned the names of dozens of kings and others. prominent people of that time, who lived in the III millennium BC.

Some bas-reliefs depict bulls with human heads. In some bulls, the entire upper body is human. These are echoes of the ancient agricultural cult of the bull (the Age of Taurus - 4485 - 2325 BC); here we observe the transformation of a god - a bull into a god - a man.

On a silver vase from Lagash, one of the masterpieces of Sumerian art in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. - depicted four eagles with lion heads. On the other vase are two winged snakes crowned with crowns. Another vase depicts snakes wrapped around a rod (a symbol of the god Enki).

Lagash competed with the neighboring city of Umma and the wars between these two states were already at the dawn of history. Lagash was an important transit point on the waterway linking the Tigris with the Euphrates. Vessels arriving from the sea went through it or unloaded here.

Political and economic life was concentrated in temples dedicated to Ningirsu, his divine wife Baba (Bau), the goddess of legislation Nanshe, the goddess Geshtinanna, who acted as the "scribe of the country without return", and Gatumdug, the mother goddess of the city.

In the Early Dynastic period, the capital of the nome was transferred from the city of Lagash (lit. "Place of Crows", modern El-Hibba) to Girsu (modern Tello), where the temple of the supreme deity of this nome, Nin-Girsu, was built. In addition to the cities of Girsu and Lagash proper (or Urukuga lit. "Holy city" - the epithet of Lagash), this nome also included a number of more or less large settlements, apparently walled: Nina (or Siraran), Kinunir, Uru , Kiesh, E-Ninmar, Guaba, etc. Political and economic life was concentrated in the temples dedicated to Nin-Ngirsu, his divine wife Baba (Bau), the goddess of legislation Nanshe, the goddess Geshtinanna, who acted as "scribe of the country without age", and Gatumdug - mother goddess of Lagash.

The first known king of Lagash in history is considered Ur-Nanshe. He was also the forefather 1st dynasty Lagash.

Ur-Nanshe is depicted on a forty-centimeter bas-relief that adorned the temple; this bas-relief was presented to the temple as a dedication gift. The ruler, dressed in a traditional Sumerian skirt, carries on his shaved head a basket with mortar for building a temple. Ur-Nanshe, who, like Aanepada from Ur, took the title of lugala ("big man" - king), together with his family takes part in the solemn ceremony. He is accompanied by a daughter and four sons, whose names are indicated on the bas-relief, among them - Akurgal, heir to the throne and father of the famous Eanatum.

The figure of the daughter, whose name is Lidda, in a robe with a cape thrown over her left shoulder, is much larger than the figures of the royal sons. Lidda follows her father directly, which is perhaps evidence of the relatively high position of the Sumerian woman in public life and economy.

In the lower part of the bas-relief, Ur-Nanshe is depicted sitting on a throne with a goblet. Behind him stands the cupbearer with a jug, in front of him is the first minister, making some kind of message, and three dignitaries named by name.

The inscriptions of Ur-Nanshe emphasize the special merits of this ruler in the construction of temples and canals. The same is reported in the later inscriptions of his successors. Ur-Nanshe did not limit his activities to the construction of temples, granaries and the expansion of the network of waterways.

As the founder of the dynasty, he had to take care of the security of the city. The rival Umma was very close, at any moment an Elamite attack could occur because of the Tigris. Temples, however, did not always agree to allocate the funds necessary for the implementation of the plans of the king. Thus, the interests of the king and the temples did not always coincide. The Ensi needed their own funds to consolidate their political power. Ur-Nanshe built on a large scale and imported timber from the Mash Mountains and building stone for the needs of construction, he laid the foundations of the political and economic power of his dynasty.

In front of his statue temple of Ningirsu sacrifices were made after death.

Grandson of Ur-Nanshe Eanatum(c. 2400 BC) made an attempt to extend his power to the neighboring states of Lagash.

After Eanatum, a white stone stele remained. This heavily destroyed more than one and a half meter slab is covered with reliefs and inscriptions. One of its fragments depicts a flock of kites tormenting the bodies of fallen soldiers. Letters report that the stele was erected by Eanatum in honor of the victory over the city of Umma. They tell about the favor of the gods to Eanatum, how he defeated the ruler of Umma, restored the borders between Umma and Lagash, defined by King Mesilim of Kish, and how, having made peace with Umma, conquered other cities.

Eanatum stopped the encroachments of the Elamites on the eastern border of Sumer, subjugated Kish and Akshak to his power.

15. Kingdom in Akshak. There are six kings. Ensi Eanatum of Lagash conquers Akshak.

16. Kingdom in Kish. IV dynasty - seven kings rule.

After the death of Eanatum, his brother assumed power in the country. Enannatum I.

17. Mesilim(Enannatum I) ruled over all of Sumer.

He, as a sovereign, determined the border between Lagash and Umma and, as a sign of its inviolability, placed his memorial stele there with the inscription:

"Enlil, the king of all lands, the father of all gods, determined the border for Ningirsu (the patron god of Lagash) and for Shara (the patron god of Umma) with his indestructible word, and Mesilim, the king of Kish, measured it according to the word of Sataran and erected a stele there. However, Ush, the ishakku of Umma, violated the decision of the gods, and the word (agreement between people), tore out the boundary stele and entered the plain of Lagash. Then Ningirsu, Enlil's best warrior, fought the people of Umma, obeying his (Enlil's) sure word. At the word of Enlil, he threw a great net over them and heaped their skeletons here and there on the plain. As a result, Eanatum, ishakku of Lagash, Entemena's uncle, ishakku of Lagash, determined the border along with Enakalli, ishakku of Umma; he drew a border ditch from the Idnun canal to Guedinna; inscribed steles along the moat! He placed the Stele of Mesilim in its former place, but did not enter the plain of Umma. He then built Imdubba there for Ningirsu at Namnunda-kigarra, as well as a shrine for Enlil, a shrine for Ninhursag, a shrine for Nipgirsu, and an altar for Utu (the sun god).)".

A powerful figure of a man with a large net that entangled his enemies is carved on the stele. Then there is a scene where this man (or god) on a war chariot rushes into the maelstrom of battle, dragging behind him closely closed ranks of warriors. This is a column of fighters armed with long spears and huge shields that cover the torso, forming an almost solid wall. In another scene, the king is depicted rewarding his faithful warriors.

The next ruler of Lagash becomes Entemena, son of Eanatum.

"Ur-Lumma, the ishakku of Umma, deprived the boundary ditch of Ningirsu and the boundary ditch of Nanshe of water, tore out the stelae of the boundary ditch and set them on fire, destroyed the dedicated sanctuaries of the gods erected in Namnunda-kigarra, received help from foreign countries and crossed the boundary ditch of Ningirsu; Eanatum fought with him near Gana Ugigga, where the fields and farms of Ningirsu are, and Entemena, the beloved son of Eanatum, defeated him. Then Ur-Lumma fled, and he (Entemena) exterminated the troops of Umma to Umma itself. In addition, he destroyed his (Ur-Umma) select detachment of 60 warriors on the banks of the Lumma-Girnunta canal. And he (Entemen) threw the bodies of his (Ur-Lumma) people on the plain to be eaten by animals and birds, and then heaped up their skeletons in five different places".

"Entemena, the ishakku of Lagash, whose name was spoken by Ningirsu, built this frontier ditch from the Tigris to the Idnun Canal by the indestructible word of Enlil, by the indestructible word of Ningirsu and by the indestructible word of Nanshe, and restored it for his beloved king Ningirsu and his beloved queen Nanshe, building it out of brick basis for Namnund-kigarra.

May Shulutula, the personal god of Entemena, the ishakku of Lagash, to whom Enlil gave the scepter, to whom Enki gave wisdom, whom Nanshe keeps in his heart, the great ishakku Ningirsu, who received the word of the gods, be the intercessor, praying for the life of Entemena before Ningirsu and Nanshe until the remotest times ! A man from Umma who ever crosses the border ditch of Ningirsu and the border ditch of Nanshe in order to take possession of fields and farms by force - whether a citizen of Umma or a stranger - let Enlil strike him, let Ningirsu throw a great net on him and lower his mighty hand and his mighty foot, let the people of his city rise up against him and let him prostrate in the middle of his city".

When Entemena, through ambassadors, demanded an explanation from Il and called for obedience, he made claims regarding the territory to Guedinnu. The matter did not come to war, the truce was concluded on the basis of a decision imposed by some third party. The former border was restored, but the citizens of Ummah did not suffer any punishment: not only did they not have to pay debts or tribute, they did not even have to take care of supplying water to the agricultural areas affected by the war.

In Nippur, a seventy-centimeter miniature diorite statue of Entemena was found, in Uruk - an inscription about the conclusion of a fraternal alliance between Entemena and the ruler of Uruk, Lugalkingeneshdudu, and about the construction of the temple of Inanna undertaken by Entemena.

The desire to dominate all of Sumer and the aggressive policy of Urnanshe's successors cost his people dearly. Considerable funds were spent on the construction of places of worship far from Lagash. The maintenance of a large and well-armed army also required a lot of money. The more active became the policy of the ensi, striving for hegemony over Sumer, the more worried the priests. Their interests and influence were increasingly threatened by the rulers of the Urnanshe dynasty, who were gaining more and more independence from the temples.

Son of Entemene Enentarzi, inferior to his father, both in military prowess and in diplomatic abilities. During the years of his reign, the opponents of the dynasty managed to get into power.

At that time, the second most powerful persons in Lagash were the high priests of the god Nin-Ngirsu. Information has come down to us about two priests who were especially active in the behind-the-scenes struggle between the temples and the palace. After the suppression of the clan of King Ur-Nanshe, the supreme power in Lagash (about 2340 BC) was taken over by someone Dudu who was the priest of the god Nin-Ngirsu. As a result of this struggle, the "political party of the priests" placed their protege, Lugalanda, on the throne.

Lugaland did not appropriate the titles with which his predecessors decorated their names. He was called the ensi of Lagash and, together with his associates, was engaged only in his own affairs. The priests strove as soon as possible to compensate for the losses incurred in connection with the policy of the Urnanshe dynasty, the courtiers were in a hurry to make fortunes. In a rich city with a prosperous population, there was someone to tear three skins from. No matter how hard Lugalanda tried to look after the interests of the priests in his policy, what had already happened could not be changed: along with the temple, a powerful socio-economic force arose - the princely court with a monstrously overgrown bureaucratic apparatus. While the country was at war, palace officials were content with little, but as soon as the ringing of weapons ceased, they rushed to fight for the first places in the state. In the name of realizing their plans and for the sake of achieving their own selfish goals, they tried in every possible way to strengthen the force that could resist the influence of the temple, i.e. princely palace.

Like his predecessor Enentarzi, Lugalanda, a protege of the priests, came under pressure from two sides. Lugalanda was a large landowner who owned vast estates spread over a territory that was huge at that time - 161 hectares. His wife Barnamtarra had her own estates; two of them occupied 66 hectares. The people who worked on the lands of Barnamtarra, although they were not slaves, are described in documents as her property. Everything and everyone, including the rulers of Sumer, were the property of God, i.e. temple. In documents from Lagash, the ruler and his wife themselves act as owners of land, wealth, and even the people who worked on their estates.

Lugalanda and his wife carried out all sorts of business transactions on their own behalf, concluded trade deals on a large scale, while before all this was under the jurisdiction of the administration of the temples. The tablets talk about the gifts that Barnamtarra received quite often, about her friendship and trade relations with the wife of the ruler of Adab.

The reign of Lugalanda and the priests lasted until 2318 BC. e., when Lugalanda was deposed by the new king of Lagash - the reformer Uruinimgina (Uruinimgina, Urukagina).

According to one data Uruinimgina ruled from 2318 - 2311 BC.

Having taken the place of Lugalanda, Uruinimgina called himself ensi for a year, after which he appropriated the title of lugal (king).

The short years of the reign of Uruinimgina were filled with intensive construction - new canals were being built, old ones were being repaired, city walls were being restored, temples were being erected - and reformatory and legislative activity. This man, after 44 centuries, was called "the first reformer in history."

Documents discovered during excavations in Tello (several cones with more or less the same text) about the activities of Uruinimgina begin with the praise of this king, who built temples with large storerooms for the patron and lord of Lagash, Ningirsu and his wife, the goddess Baba.

Uruinimgina ordered a canal to be dug in honor of the goddess Nanshe. After that, the compiler of the text talks about the eternal orders of Sumer:

"Since ancient times, since ancient times, when shipbuilders-collectors set up ships, shepherds-collectors set out donkeys, shepherds-collectors set up sheep, fishermen-collectors set up nets, priests-shoutugs measured grain for rent in the swamp itself ..."

In other words, life flowed according to established laws and customs, everyone performed their duties and used the gifts of the gods in accordance with generally accepted rules. After that, the chronicler, without indicating the reasons, apparently all this happened as a result of the policies of previous rulers, reveals to us a gloomy picture of evil and injustice:

"The bulls of the gods cultivated the garden of patesi (ensi). The good field of the gods has become a fence, a place of joy for patesi has become. Traction donkeys, bulls were harnessed to the yokes of all the high priests, the warriors of the patesi gave out the grain of all the high priests..."

The domain of the god Ningirsu and his family was taken over by the ensi and his family. " At the house of the patesi, at the field of the patesi, at the house of the wife, at the field of the wife, at the house of the children, at the field of the children, control was established Tax collectors raged everywhere. They took away boats from rowers, from fishermen-catch. For permission to shear a white sheep, silver had to be paid to the palace treasury. A person who was in power quickly made a fortune at the expense of his compatriots - both poor and wealthy citizens. Officials got to the temples. The story of the injustices perpetrated in relation to the temples is not at all like a metaphor, which partly obscures the idea of ​​​​the nature of the social reforms carried out by Uruinimgina. His coming to power was not due to the fact that he acted as "People's protector". He was supported by the priests, who jealously followed the growth of palace wealth. However, having come to power, Uruinimgina did not justify the hopes of the priests, who wanted only one thing - that income would again pour into the bins and treasuries of the temples.

"Uruinimgina, obedient to the words of the god Ningirsu, who gave him power in Lagash and commanded him to rule over 10 sars(10x3600 people)... The divine decisions of the past ... he attached to them (people), the word that his king Ningirsu spoke to him, he established".

Uruinimgina returned to the country the former laws established by the god Ningirsu. The tax collectors have disappeared from the ships. There were no more of them on the banks of the ponds.

The god Ningirsu returned to the houses of the ensi and to the fields of the ensi as their master... In the lands of the god Ningirsu, not a single tax collector remained until the sea.

Uruinimgina determined the maximum amount of taxes, i.e. reformed fiscal policy:

"The deceased is laid to the tomb - his beer is 3 jugs, his loaves are 80, 1 bed, 1 goat..."

Lugal also spoke out against all manifestations of autocracy of officials, priests and simply rich people in relation to the poor:

"If a good donkey is born to a “fur-lugal” (“subordinate to the king”) and if his overseer “I want to buy from you” says, then if he (“fur-lugal”), when he sells to him (the overseer), “silver to satisfy my give me good things" he will say, or when he does not sell to him, the warden, in anger because of this, let him not beat him!"

Now no one dared to break into the garden of the "poor man's mother."

Uruinimgin's reforms were not to the taste of either palace circles or temple officials. Lugal significantly reduced the palace staff, limited the power of officials and somewhat pressed the priests. Thus, he pleased no one but the common people, who were then mute.

The "old customs" were only half restored by Uruinimgina; he did not renounce the economic prerogatives of the palace, won by his predecessors from the temples.

The royal title in that era was no longer a sign of dominance over all of Sumer. The desire to rule over Sumer was inherent in Uruinimgin.

Uruinimgina was lonely: some hated him because he curbed their autocracy, others because he did not justify their hopes of obtaining absolute power. The reforms of Uruinimgina were no doubt not to the taste of the ensi of other city-states either.

In the eighth year of the reign of Uruinimgina, the ensi of the city of Umma Lugalzagesi attacked Lagash. The city of Girsu is on fire, temples are defiled, people are deprived of their property, freedom, and life.

The end of a short, as if one instant, period of greatness and glory of Lagash is tragic. Little will survive from Girsu, where the royal residence was located, but Lagash, located nearby, will spare the enemy: the temples will not be destroyed.

"King Girsu Uruinimgin bears no sin".

Lugalzagesi did not kill his predecessor, but only "exiled" him, leaving behind him the less significant title of king.

"Lugalzagesi, ensi of Umma, may his patron goddess Nidaba (goddess of grain and reeds) make him bear his sin!"

18. Lugalzagesi The kingdom was moved to Uruk, where he ruled for 25 years.

Lugalzagesi conquers Ur, defeats Larsa. When he conquers Nippur, local priests reward him with the title "king of countries". Then he subjugates Kish, where Ur-Zababa reigned at that time.

Under his rule were all the lands of Sumer.

At the borders of Sumer stood enemies - Akkadians, Elamites, inhabitants of the mountainous country of the Kutians of Avan and many other tribes, only waiting for the moment to attack the state, fragmented and weakened by internal strife. The ruler, in order to eliminate this danger, had to steadily expand his possessions, including at the expense of the territories of those countries from which attacks could be expected.

Having reached the "Lower Sea", the tsarist troops moved west, to the "Upper (Mediterranean) Sea", and further, until they reached Syria. They also rushed to the north and east.

The inscription on the fragments of a vase found in Nippur speaks of Lugalzagesi as the chosen one of all the main Sumerian gods. He is the man" on whom An looks with a favorable look", "whom Enki endowed with wisdom", "whose name did Utu proclaim", "child Nidaba, nourished by the sacred milk of Ninhursag", "Inanna's knight", "Nanna's viceroy"...

"When Enlil, the king of the countries, handed over to Lugalzagesi the kingdom over the country, when he turned the eyes of the whole country to him, threw the earth at his feet, gave them to him from sunrise to sunset, then he opened the way for him from the Lower Sea along the Tigris and Euphrates to the Upper Sea . From sunrise to sunset, at the behest of Enlil, there was no rival for him. He (Lugalzagesi) made the countries rest in peace, flooded the lands with waters of joy... He made Uruk shine with full splendor; raised the head of Ur, like the head of a bull, to the very sky; Larsa, the beloved city of Utu, filled with water; Nobly exalted Umma, the beloved city of Shara... May Enlil, the king of countries, support my fate before his beloved father An. May it prolong my life, allow countries to live in peace. Nations, numerous as fragrant herbs, let him subdue my power ... Let him look favorably on the country. The favorable fate that the gods have determined for me, may it never change..."

The people, the oligarchy and the priests are plotting against him, colluding with the enemy ready to jump. Those whom he united do not want unity - because he forced unity on them.

In the 5th year (c. 2311 BC), Sargon began hostilities against Lugalzagesi and quickly defeated his army and the armies of the ensi under his control. Lugalzagesi was apparently executed, and the walls of Uruk were torn down.

In the 6th year of the reign of Sargon (c. 2310 BC), a coalition of southern ensi led by a "man from Ur" opposed him. Having defeated the army of Ur, Sargon moved against Umma and Lagash. Having captured Umma, Sargon occupied the temporary capital of Lagash, the city of E-Ninmar, and subjugated the entire territory of Lagash, reaching the Persian Gulf (Lower Sea). Ensi Umma Mes-e was taken prisoner, the fate of the rulers of Lagash and Ur is unknown. The walls of all three cities were torn down. Summing up, Sargon says that if you count this campaign, then he fought in 34 battles.

Lagash fell under the rule of Akkad for more than a century. The 1st Dynasty of Lagash thus ceased to exist.

The reign of the Akkadian kings was quite cruel, they controlled almost the entire region of Mesopotamia. Many Sumerian cities also came under the rule of Akkad. However, the Sumerians conquered by them continued to resist. There were frequent uprisings against the Akkadians, to which Lagash joined. However, these uprisings were for the most part not successful. The Sumerians were constantly defeated, and the Akkadian kings did not hesitate to punish the rebels. Rimush is considered the most cruel - under him, Lagash was greatly devastated and lost many people. However, the Akkadians held power in Lagash for little more than a century. After the death of their last king, Sharkalisharri, and the collapse of the Akkadian state under the onslaught of the Gutian tribes, Lagash was able to regain its independence again.

The first post-Akkadian rulers of Lagash were rather insignificant figures, and little information about them has been preserved.

The heyday of Lagash begins with the king of Ur-Baba, who was able to conquer Ur and Uruk. The last ensi of Lagash, Nammahani, was an ally of the Gutian king Tirikan in his historical battle with the king of Uruk, Utuhengal. This battle took place around 2109 BC. e. The Kuti suffered a crushing defeat from the Uruks, and lost their influence in Mesopotamia. The power of Lagash was also undermined, but the Lagash people managed to maintain their independence. However, a few years after the defeat, Lagash was still conquered by the king of Ur - Ur-Nammu. Lagash fell under the rule of the Urts and more, as an independent state, was not revived.