The First Empire

Before Sargon, Mesopotamia was a patchwork of rival cities. Sargon, a cupbearer from Kish, conquered them all and then pushed out to Syria, Elam and the Gulf.

Akkad invented the tools of empire: a standing army, governors loyal to the king, one official language and a royal family placed in key temples.

It lasted barely 180 years. Revolts, raiders and drought brought it down, but every later empire in the region tried to rebuild it.