Re: CHAT: reign names

> Thomas Wier wrote:
> > Heck, if Sargon II of Assyria (r. 722-705 BC) can be called
> > thus because of Sargon I the Great of Akkad (r. 2371-2315 BC), I
> > suppose anything can happen.
>
> Hm? I seem recall recently to've read words to the effect that Sargon
> of Akkad reached such fame that _two_ Assyrian kings adopted his name.
> There was no Sargon III of Assyria, so I've assumed there was a Sargon
> I of Assyria sometime between Sargon of Akkad and Sargon II.
There is indeed a Sargon I of Assyria, but he belongs to a period when
Assyria was a vassal of Babylon, and it is not even known
how long he reigned; it was around the time of Hamurabi. I was
given to understand (and this may be wrong) that by the time of Sargon II
of Assyria, over a thousand years later, it was the first Sargon that
was really salient, and that Sargon II conscientiously took that throne
name to echo the Great One's martial glory.  But I suppose the question
is ambiguous;  I'm not even sure the Assyrians used regnal numbers.

 =========================================================================
Thomas Wier	       "I find it useful to meet my subjects personally,
Dept. of Linguistics    because our secret police don't get it right
University of Chicago   half the time." -- octogenarian Sheikh Zayed of
1010 E. 59th Street     Abu Dhabi, to a French reporter.
Chicago, IL 60637

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