Origin/Historian/Author: Akkadian (ca 2200 BCE)
Source: The Sacred Books and Literature of the East, By Prof. Charles F. Horne, Ph.D.
The Sacred Books and Literature of the East Translations conducted by:
Morris Jastrow, Jr., LL.D., Rev. A.H. Sayce, LL.D., Robert W. Rogers, LL.D., George A. Barton, LL.D., Leonard W. King, F.S.A., Stephen Langdon, PH.D., Arno Poebel, PH.D., and other scholars.
Full Text Below (15)
OBVERSE
When the moon at its setting with the color of a dust-cloud filled the crescent, the moon was favorable for Sargon, who, at this season,
marched against the country of Elam and subjugated the men of Elam.
Misery he brought upon them; their food he cut off.
When the moon at its setting filled the crescent with the color of a dust-cloud, and over the face of the sky the color extended behind the moon during the day and remained bright,
5 the moon was favorable for Sargon, who marched against the country of Phenicia, and
subjugated the country of Phenicia. His hand conquered the four quarters of the world.
When the moon increased in form on the right hand and on the left, and moreover during the day the finger reached over the horns,(16)
the moon was favorable for Sagon who, at this season, produced joy in Babylon, and
like dust the spoil of Bab-dhuna was carried away and . . .
10 … he made Akkad a city; the city of … he called its name;
the men … in the midst he caused to dwell.
When the moon … on the left the color of fire . . . on the left of the planet, and
the moon was favorable to Sargon who, at this season, against the country of Phenicia
marched and subjugated it. The four quarters of the world his hand conquered.
15 When the moon . . . behind the moon the four heads were placed,
the moon was favorable to Sargon who, at this season, marched against the country of Phenicia and
subjugated the country of Phenicia. His enemies he smote; his heroes …
in the gate of its (17) rising.
When the moon was fixed and a span . . . the moon was favorable to Sargon, as for whom, at this season, the goddess Ishtar
20 with favors filled for him his hand . . . the goddess Ishtar all countries
caused him to conquer; against Tiri . . .
When the moon appeared like a lion, the moon was favorable to Sargon who, at this season,
was very exalted and a rival or equal had not; his own country was at peace. Over the countries of the sea of the setting sun (18) he crossed and
for three years at the setting sun
25 all countries his hand conquered. Every place to form but one empire he appointed. His images at the setting sun
he erected. Their spoil he caused to pass over into the countries of the sea.(19)
When the moon on the right hand was like the color of gall, and there was no finger; (20) the upper part was long and the moon was setting,
the moon was favorable for Sargon, who enlarged his palace of Delight by 5 mitkhu, and
established the chiefs in it and called it the House of Kiam-izallik.(21)
30 When the moon was like a cloud, like the color of gall, and there was no finger; on the right side was the color of a sword; the circumference of the left side was visible;
toward its face on the left the color extended; the moon was favorable for Sargon, against whom, at this season, Kastubila of the country of Kazalla rebelled and against Kazalla
Sargon marched and he smote their forces; he accomplished their destruction.
Their mighty army he annihilated; he reduced Kazalla to dust and ruins.
The station of the birds (22) he overthrew.
35 When the moon was like a cloud, like the color of gall, and there was no finger;(23) on the right side was the color of a sword; the circumference of the left was visible;
and against its face the Seven (24) advanced; the moon was favorable to Sargon, against whom, at this season, the elders of the whole country revolted and besieged him in the city of Akkad; but
Sargon issued forth and smote their forces; their destruction he accomplished.
REVERSE
Their numerous soldiery he massacred; the spoil that was upon them he collected.
” The booty of Ishtar! ” he shouted.
When the moon had two fingers, and swords were seen on the right side and the left, and might and peace were on the left
its hand presented a sword; the sword in its left hand was of the color of ‘sukhuruni; the point was held in the left hand and there were two heads;
5 the moon was favorable for Sargon who, at this season,
subjected the men of the country of ‘Su-edin (25) in its plenitude to the sword, and
Sargon caused their seats to be occupied, and
smote their forces; their destruction he accomplished; their mighty army
he cut off, and his troops he collected; into the city of Akkad he brought them back.
10 When the moon had two fingers and on the right side of it was of the color of a sword and on the left it was visible;
and against its face the Seven advanced; its appearance was of the color of gall; the moon was favorable for Naram-Sin (26)
who, at this season, marched against the city of Apirak, and
utterly destroyed it; Ris-Rimmon the King of Apirak,
he overthrew and the city of Apirak his hand conquered.
15 When the moon … on the right of it was of the color of a sword, and on the left it was visible;
and against its face the Seven advanced; the moon was favorable for Naram-Sin who, at this season,
marched against the country of Maganna (27) and seized the country of Maganna, and
. . . the King of Maganna his hand captured.
When against the moon the Seven were banded, and behind it …
20 … never may there be a son. . . .
(15) The astrological notices with which the account of Sargon’s campaigns is associated are explained by the fact that the great Chaldean work on astronomy and astrology was compiled for his library at Akkad, and that one of the objects of this work was to trace a connection between certain astronomical occurrences and the events which immediately followed them.
(16) The moon lay on its back, and the distance from the extremity of one horn to that of another was as much as a span.
(17) The Sun-god must be referred to.
(18) The Mediterranean.
(19) We infer from this that Sargon had crossed over into Cyprus, and there erected an image of himself. This might explain why his later namesake Sargon sent to the island a monument, which is now in Berlin. General di Cesnola brought back from Cyprus a Babylonian cylinder of haematite bearing the inscription, ” Abil-Ishtar, the son of Ilu-Balidh, the servant of the deified Naram-Sin.” The cylinder was probably executed either during the reign of Naram-Sin, or shortly afterward, as the cult of the King is not likely to have continued after the fall of his dynasty.
(20) it could not be measured.
(21) ” Thus he has appointed.”
(22) What this refers to it is impossible to say. The expression can hardly be metaphorical.
(23) It could not be measured.
(24) The Seven Evil Spirits, who were supposed to cause eclipses of the moon.
(25) ” The plain of the ‘Suti,” or nomad tribes on the eastern side of Babylonia.
(26) The successor of Sargon on the throne.
(27) The Sinaitic Peninsula.