The first royal alliance in Sumerian history: one of the world's earliest records of diplomacy

[Sumerian Foundation Cone]. Enmetena, King of Lagash (c. 2450-2375 BCE). Cuneiform foundation cone for the temple Emush.

€ 35.000,00

A cuneiform text referencing the establishment of a "brotherhood" (nam-shesh) between the kings of the cities of Uruk and Lagash, representing the first known royal alliance in Sumerian history and one of the world's earliest records of diplomacy overall.

The text, handsomely executed in clear cuneiform characters of the Early Dynastic period, is inscribed on a nail-shaped cone. This form was used due to the text's association with the foundation of the temple Emush, whose name (according to Frayne) can be interpreted as "House of the Radiance of the Land". The reference to the treaty helps anchor this founding in a specific year of Enmetena's reign. The text reads:

"For Inanna, for Lugal-Emush, Enmetena, the ruler of the city of Lagash, built their Emush, their beloved temple, these clay nails he affixed for them. Enmetena, the man who built the Emush temple, his patron god is Shulutul. At that time, Enmetena, the ruler of the city of Lagash, and Lugal-kinesh-dudu, the ruler of the city of Uruk, made a brotherhood".

As implied by the text, a number of these nails were made and excavated in the ancient city of Patibira. Frayne lists 39 witnesses to this text, including one in the British Museum. The relatively large number of copies (for a Mesopotamian text of this age) is unusual and underscores the importance that this document was accorded. However, Frayne only lists nine of these examples as containing the full 19-line text: this nail thus represents an unusually complete and well preserved exemplar.

As king of Uruk, Lugal-kinesh-dudu conquered Ur, and Enmetena probably feared that his city of Lagash might be a future target. Enmetena had other wars to occupy him, and entering into a diplomatic relationship by which neither would attack the other was a greatly preferable solution, and clearly worthy of commemoration. This is the first known reference to nam-shesh, a "brotherhood" between two kings, or a formal royal alliance, in Sumerian history.

Enmetena is also notable for having commissioned an account of his reign, which represents one of the earliest attempts anywhere at the writing of history. In addition to his career as a warleader and diplomat, he was also remembered for his achievements in domestic policy, winning great popularity by ordering the cancellation of all debts and freeing all who had fallen into slavery in order to repay loans.

A striking document of international diplomacy from the dawn of civilisation.