Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus | Explore & Learn

The Ruler: Mesopotamia

Return to The Ruler

The Mesopotamian king presented himself as chosen and nurtured by the gods and a close association between the ruler and the divine world was often stressed in royal monuments and inscriptions. In the late fourth millennium B.C. a man with a rounded beard, head band and, either nude or wearing a skirt, is depicted involved in ritual. Later images of the ruler show him participating in ritual banquets or making libations to the gods. One of the central themes is the king's role as builder for the god, refurbishing and restoring the deity's temples. Another important theme of kingship is the ruler as warrior. Often the king is shown successfully leading an army against human enemies, while on other occasions the king is victorious over wild animals. Palaces have been identified dating from the mid-third millennium B.C. although some of the earlier monumental buildings at places like Uruk may have served the ruler for ceremonial or ritual purposes. The close connection between the gods and their chosen ruler is developed in the Akkadian period when king Naram-Sin (2220–2184 B.C.) was deified. This concept was adopted by Shulgi and his successors during the Ur III dynasty (2097–1989 B.C.).


	Select an image below to learn more and see the enlarged view.

Images, from top to bottom: Standing nude "priest-king," ca. 3300–3000 B.C.; Late Uruk. Mesopotamia. Archäologische Sammlung der Universität Zürich, Switzerland Inv. 1942. Wall plaque of Ur-Nanshe and family, ca. 2550–2400 B.C.; Early Dynastic IIIA. Mesopotamia, Girsu (modern Tello). Cuneiform inscription in Sumerian. Musée du Louvre, Département des Antiquités Orientales, Paris AO 2345. "Standard of Ur," ca. 2550–2400 B.C.; Early Dynastic IIIA. Mesopotamia, Ur, PG 779, U.11164. Trustees of The British Museum, London BM 121201.

Photograph Credits