/ akkadian

The Cuthean Legend of Naram-Sin

Naram-Sin of Akkad faces a barbarian invasion — he ignores the gods’ omens, suffers for it, and finally writes down his story as a warning to future kings.

1 chapter
Tradition
Akkadian narû-literature ("monument literature"), Old Babylonian and later. Framed as a royal autobiographical inscription; serves as a warning about ignoring divination.
Translation
Translation by Benjamin R. Foster, *Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature*, 3rd ed. (Bethesda: CDL Press, 2005), §III.7(b) The Cuthaean Legend of Naram-Sin, drawing on the edition in Joan Goodnick Westenholz, *Legends of the Kings of Akkade* (Mesopotamian Civilizations 7, Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1997), pp. 263-331. Substantial selection from B. R. Foster's translation of the Old Babylonian, Middle Babylonian, and Late Assyrian versions (using J. Westenholz's edition); see source edition for complete text. Used under fair-use principles for non-commercial educational and religious commentary; copyright remains with the publishers.
License
Used under fair-use principles for non-commercial educational and religious commentary. Copyright remains with the publisher.
Source
archive.org

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