Rimush

Rimush (or Rimuš, ''Ri-mu-uš'') was the second king of the Akkadian Empire. He was the son of Sargon of Akkad and Queen Tashlultum. He was succeeded by his brother Manishtushu, and was an uncle of Naram-Sin of Akkad. Rimush reported having a statue of himself made out of tin, then a recent introduction to the region.

Background

According to the ''Sumerian King List'', his reign lasted 9 years (though variant copies read 7 or 15 years.) There is one surviving year-name for an unknown year in his reign: "mu ud-nun / adab hul-a = Year in which Adab was destroyed". Tradition gives that he was assassinated, as the Bārûtu, “art of the diviner”, a first millennium compendium of extispicy, records “Omen of king Rimuš, whom his courtiers killed with their seals”. He was succeeded by his brother Manishtushu. The Ur III version of the Sumerian King List inverts the order of Rimush and Manishtushu. A number of his votive offerings have been found in excavated temples in several Mesopotamian cities.

Destruction of Sumerian city-states

According to his inscriptions, he faced widespread revolts, and had to reconquer the cities of Ur, Umma, Adab, Lagash, Der, and Kazallu from rebellious ''ensis'':

Only one year name is preserved for Rimush, and it says "Year in which Adab was destroyed".

Rimush introduced mass slaughter and large scale destruction of the Sumerian city-states, and maintained meticulous records of his destructions. Most of the major Sumerian cities were destroyed, and Sumerian human losses were enormous:

Victory Stele of Rimush over Lagash

A Victory Stele in several fragments (three in total, Louvre Museum, AO 2678 for the relief and AO 2679 for the inscriptions, with possibly another fragment from the Yale Babylonian Collection YBC 2409) has been attributed to Rimush on stylistic and epigraphical grounds. One of the fragments mentions Akkad and Lagash. The style is airy and the figures are more refined than those from the time of Sargon of Akkad. One fragment in the main inscription probably contains parts of the name of Rimush himself.

It is thought that the stele represents the defeat of Lagash by the troops of Akkad. The prisoners depicted in the relief are visibly Mesopotamian, and their slaughtering at the hand of Akkadian soldiers is consistent with the known accounts of Rimush. The stele was excavated in ancient Girsu, one of the main cities of the territory of Lagash. The inscription describes the attribution of large plots of land from Lagash to the Akkadian nobility, following the victory.

File:Victory stele-AO 2678-IMG 9053-gradient.jpg, Possible victory stele of king Rimush (front) Generally attributed to Rimush on stylistic grounds.
File:Victory stele-AO 2678-IMG 9044.jpg, Possible victory stele of king Rimush (back)
File:P1150890 Louvre stèle de victoire Akkad AO2678 rwk.jpg, Detail of the slaughtering of prisoners by Akkadian troops.
File:Soldier escorting a prisoner on an Akkadian Empire victory scene 2300-2250 BCE Louvre Museum AO 2678.jpg, Detail of a soldier escorting a prisoner
File:Man of Lagash, circa 2270 BCE (portrait).jpg, A prisoner from Lagash, c. 2270 BC, on the Victory Stele. The same hairstyle can be seen in other statues from Lagash.
File:Fragments of the Victory Stele of Rimush (transcription).jpg, Fragment mentioning Akkad and Lagash, Louvre Museum, AO 2679.

Campaigns against Elam and Marhashi

There are also records of victorious campaigns against Elam and Marhashi (Sumerian name for the Akkadian "Parahshum") in his 3rd year. According to the account, troops from the Indus Valley civilization (Meluhha) also participated in the conflict:

The campaign resulted in 16,212 killed on the side of the enemies, and 4,216 captured and enslaved. After the victorious campaigns of Rimush, under his successor Manishtushu, Elam would be ruled by Akkadian Military Governors, starting with Eshpum, and Pashime, on the Iranian coast, was ruled by an Akkadian Governor named Ilshu-rabi. Upon his return from conquering Elam Rimush gave thanks to the deity of Nippur, Enlil, with 30 mana of gold, 3,600 mana of copper, and 360 slaves.

Gallery

File:Abalgamash Lugal Paraahshum-ki.jpg, " Abalgamash, King of Marhashi" ( ''Abalgamash Lugal Paraahshum-ki'') on one of the Rimush inscriptions (Louvre Museum, AO 5476)
File:Prisoner of the Akkadian Empire period possibly Warka ancient Uruk LOUVRE AO 5683 (detail).jpg, Prisoner of the Akkadian Empire, nude, fettered, drawn by nose ring, with pointed beard and vertical braid. Thought to depict a typical Marhashi. 2350-2000 BC, Louvre Museum AO 5683.

Artifacts in the name of Rimush

File:Murex Rimush Louvre AO21404.jpg, Akkadian language cuneiform on Murex shell, with name of Rimush, 23rd century BC
File:Vase in the name of Rimush King of Kish circa 2270 BC albaster Tello ancient Girsu.jpg, Vase in the name of "Rimush, King of Kish", albaster, Tello ancient Girsu.
File:Rimush name inscription.jpg, Name of Rimush on an inscription.
File:AO 5477 (photograph and transcription).jpg, The first known Sumerian-Akkadian bilingual tablet dates from the reign of Rimush. Louvre Museum AO 5477. The top column is in Sumerian, the bottom column is its translation in Akkadian.

See also

*History of Sumer

External links

Complete Rimush inscriptions

References

{{Authority control

3rd-millennium BC births
3rd-millennium BC deaths
23rd-century BC kings of Akkad
Sumerian rulers
Akkadian people
Kings of the Universe
Akkadian Empire
Male murder victims