Sargon I


Sargon I was the king during the Old Assyrian period from 1921 BC to 1881 BC.

Reign

On the Assyrian King List, Sargon appears as the son and successor of Ikunum, and the father and predecessor of Puzur-Ashur II.
The name "Sargon" means "the king is legitimate" in Akkadian. Sargon I might have been named after Sargon of Akkad, both Akkad and Assyria being Akkadian-speaking Mesopotamian states, perhaps reflecting the extent to which Sargon I identified with the prestigious Dynasty of Akkad in a similar way to Naram-Sin of Assyria likely being named after the Akkadian king of the same name.
Sargon I is known for his work refortifying Assur, the Assyrian capital. Very little is otherwise yet known about Sargon I, although he presided over Assyria's trading colonies in southeast Anatolia, the most prominent being Kanish, where his limmu lists have been uncovered.

Limmu Year-names

The following is a list of the 41 annually-elected limmu officials from the year of accession of Sargon I until the year of his death. Dates are based on a date of 1833 BC for the solar eclipse recorded in the limmu of Puzur-Ishtar:
1920 BC Irišum son of Iddin-Aššur

1919 BC Aššur-malik son of Agatum

1918 BC Aššur-malik son of Enania

1917 BC Ibisua son of Suen-nada

1916 BC Bazia son of Bal-Tutu

1915 BC Puzur-Ištar son of Sabasia

1914 BC Pišaḫ-Ili son of Adin

1913 BC Asqudum son of Lapiqum

1912 BC Ili-pilaḫ son of Damqum

1911 BC Qulali

1910 BC Susaya

1909 BC Amaya the Weaponer

1908 BC Ipḫurum son of Ili-ellat

1907 BC Kudanum son of Laqipum

1906 BC Ili-bani son of Ikunum

1905 BC Šu-Kubum son of Susaya

1904 BC Quqidi son of Amur-Aššur

1903 BC Abia son of Nur-Suen

1902 BC Šu-Ištar son of Šukutum

1901 BC Bazia son of Šepa-lim

1900 BC Šu-Ištar son of Ikunum, the starlike

1899 BC Abia son of Šu-Dagan

1898 BC Salia son of Šabakuranum

1897 BC Ibni-Adad son of Baqqunum

1896 BC Aḫmarši son of Malkum-išar

1895 BC Sukkalia son of Minanum

1894 BC Iddin-Aššur son of Kubidi

1893 BC Šudaya son of Ennanum

1892 BC Al-ṭab son of Pilaḫ-Aššur

1891 BC Aššur-dammiq son of Abarsisum

1890 BC Puzur-Niraḫ son of Puzur-Suen

1889 BC Amur-Aššur son of Karria

1888 BC Buzuzu son of Ibbi-Suen

1887 BC Šu-Ḫubur son of Elali

1886 BC Ilšu-rabi son of Bazia

1885 BC Alaḫum son of Inaḫ-ili

1884 BC Ṭab-Aššur son of Suḫarum

1883 BC Elali son of Ikunum

1882 BC Iddin-abum son of Narbitum

1881 BC Adad-bani son of Iddin-Aššur

1880 BC Aššur-iddin son of Šuli