Before empire, there was a cupbearer.
In the rival city-states of Mesopotamia, Sargon rose from servant to strategist.
Legend whispers of a river-born youth; history records a commander who seized Kish, defeated Lugalzagesi, and forged the Akkadian Empire.
Canals, tribute, and roads bound lands once at war.
Scribes pressed his name in cuneiform—the first name of empire.
From humble origins—an empire that reshaped the Near East.