Akurgal

{{Infobox royalty

| name = Akurgal
{{nobold|{{cuneiform|𒀀𒆳𒃲}}}}

| image = Akurgal as son of Ur-Nanshe, on the votive relief of Ur-Nanshe.jpg

| image_size = 250

| caption = Akurgal as son of Ur-Nanshe, on the votive relief of Ur-Nanshe. The name of Akurgal ({{cuneiform|𒀀𒆳𒃲}}) appears on the skirt, vertically. The character next to it to the left is {{cuneiform|𒌉}}, dumu, for "child", "son".{{cite web |title=Sumerian dictionary |url=http://oracc.iaas.upenn.edu/epsd2/cbd/sux/D.html |website=oracc.iaas.upenn.edu}} Louvre Museum

| spouse =

| issue = Eannatum

Enannatum I

| reign = c. 2460 BC

| father = Ur-Nanshe

| predecessor = Possibly Ur-Nanshe

| successor = Possibly Eannatum

| dynasty = 1st Dynasty of Lagash

| succession = King of Lagash

}}

{{Location map

| Near East

| width = 260px

| float = right

| border =

| caption = Location of Lagash

| alt =

| relief = yes

| AlternativeMap =

| overlay_image =

| label = Lagash

| label_size =

| position =

| background =

| mark =

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| lat_deg = 31.411389

| lon_deg = 46.407222

}}Akurgal ({{langx|sux|{{cuneiform|𒀀𒆳𒃲}}}}, "Descendant of the Great Mountain" in Sumerian; {{fl.|{{circa}} 2460 BC}}){{cite web |title=CDLI-Found Texts |url=https://cdli.ucla.edu/search/search_results.php?SearchMode=Text&ObjectID=P222392 |website=cdli.ucla.edu}} was the second king (Ensi) of the first dynasty of Lagash.{{cite book |last1=Kramer |first1=Samuel Noah |title=The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character |date=2010 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-45232-6 |pages=53–54 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iY9xp4pLp88C&pg=PA53 |language=en}} His relatively short reign took place in the first part of the 25th century BCE, during the period of the archaic dynasties. He succeeded his father, Ur-Nanshe, founder of the dynasty, and was replaced by his son Eannatum.

Very little is known about his reign: only six inscriptions mention it.{{cite book |last1=Kramer |first1=Samuel Noah |title=The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character |date=2010 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-45232-6 |page=309 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iY9xp4pLp88C&pg=PA309 |language=en}} One of them reports that he built the Antasura of Ningirsu.

During his reign, a border conflict pitted Lagash against Umma,{{cite book |last1=King |first1=Leonard W. |title=A history of Sumer and Akkad |date=1994 |publisher=Рипол Классик |isbn=978-5-87664-034-5 |page=118 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G_8NAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA118 |language=en}} These borders between Umma and Lagash had been fixed in ancient times by Mesilim, king (lugal) of Kish, who had drawn the borders between the two states in accordance with the oracle of Ishtaran, invoked as intercessor between the two cities. Akurgal is mentioned fragmentally in an inscription on the Stele of the Vultures, describing the conflict of Akurgal with Lagash, possibly with Ush, king of Umma: "Because of […] the man of Umma spoke arrogantly with him and defied Lagash. Akurgal, king of Lagash, son of Urnanshe […]".{{cite book |last1=Sallaberger |first1=Walther |last2=Schrakamp |first2=Ingo |title=History & Philology |date=2015 |publisher=Walther Sallaberger & Ingo Schrakamp (eds), Brepols |isbn=978-2-503-53494-7 |pages=74–76 |url=https://www.assyriologie.uni-muenchen.de/personen/professoren/sallaberger/publ_sallaberger/wasa_schrakamp_2015_arcane1.pdf}} In all likelihood Akurgal lost part of the territory of Lagash to the ruler of Umma.{{cite journal |last1=Lambert |first1=Maurice |title=L'occupation du Girsu par Urlumma roi d'Umma |journal=Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale |date=1965 |volume=59 |issue=2 |pages=81–84 |jstor=23283258 |issn=0373-6032}}

He had two sons, who both became important rulers of Lagash after him, Eannatum and Enannatum I, and successfully repelled Umma's encroachment.

Inlay Akurgal Louvre AO11249.jpg|Shell inlay in the name of Akurgal (on the skirt, vertically), found in Girsu. Louvre Museum

File:Akurgal as a child in the limestone votive relief of Ur-Nanshe.jpg|Akurgal as a child in the limestone votive relief of Ur-Nanshe

File:Akurgal with transcription.jpg|The name "Akurgal"

File:Tablet of Enannatum son of Akurgal.jpg|Tablet mentioning Akurgal, as father of Enannatum I: "Enannatum, ensi of Lagash, son of Akurgal, ensi of Lagash...."{{cite book|last1=Sarzec|first1=Ernest|title=Découvertes en Chaldée...|date=1896|publisher=L. Heuzey|page=Plate XLVI|url=http://1886.u-bordeaux-montaigne.fr/items/viewer/76267#page/n519/mode/1up|access-date=2020-03-25|archive-date=2021-03-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307194455/http://1886.u-bordeaux-montaigne.fr/items/viewer/76267#page/n519/mode/1up|url-status=dead}}

File:Tablet of Enannatum I.jpg|Tablet mentioning Akurgal, as father of Enannatum I: "Enannatum, ensi of Lagash, son of Akurgal, ensi of Lagash...."

File:Akurgal king of Lagash son of Ur-Nanshe on the Stele of the Vultures.jpg|"Akurgal king of Lagash, son of Ur-Nanshe" ({{cuneiform|𒀀𒆳𒃲 𒈗 𒉢𒁓𒆷𒆠 𒌉 𒌨𒀭𒀏}}) on the Stele of the Vultures.{{cite book|title=Découvertes en Chaldée... / publiées par L. Heuzey . 1ère-4ème livraisons / Ernest de Sarzec - Choquin de Sarzec, Ernest (1832-1901)|pages=Plate XL|url=http://1886.u-bordeaux-montaigne.fr/items/viewer/76267#page/n513/mode/1up|access-date=2020-03-25|archive-date=2021-03-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307194455/http://1886.u-bordeaux-montaigne.fr/items/viewer/76267#page/n513/mode/1up|url-status=dead}}