Rimush

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: "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”.[2] He was succeeded by his brother Manishtushu.[3][4]

A number of his votive offerings have been found in excavated temples in several Mesopotamian cities.[5]

Akkadian archer in tufted garment, indicating a high-ranking official, possibly Rimush himself.[6]

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:[7]

"Rimuš, king of the world, in battle over Adab and Zabalam was victorious, and 15,718 men he struck down, and 14,576 captives he took. Further, Meskigala, governor of Adab, he captured, and Lugalgalzu, governor of Zabalam, he captured. Their cities he conquered, and their walls he destroyed. Further, from their two cities many men he expelled, and to annihilation he consigned them"

— Adab and Zabalam Inscription of Rimus.[7][8]

"Rīmuš, king of the world, in battle over the cities of Umma and Ki.An was victorious, and 8,900 men he struck down, and 3,480 captives he took. Further, the governor of Umma, he captured, the governor of Ki.An he captured. Further, their cities he conquered, and their walls he destroyed. Further, in their cities 3,600 men he expelled, and to annihilation he consigned them"

— Inscription of Rimus.[9]

Only one year name is preserved for Rimush, and it says "Year in which Adab was destroyed".[10]

Rimush introduced mass slaughter and large scale destruction of the Sumerian city-states, and maintained meticulous records of his destructions.[11] Most of the major Sumerian cities were destroyed, and Sumerian human losses were enormous:[11][12]

Victory Stele of Rimush over Lagash

Fragments of the Victory Stele of Rimush. The Victory Stele also has an epigraphic fragment, mentioning Akkad and Lagash.[13] It suggests the stele represents the defeat of Lagash by the troops of Akkad.[14]

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)[15][16] has been attributed to Rimush on stylistic and epigraphical grounds.[16] One of the fragments mentions Akkad and Lagash.[17] The style is airy and the figures are more refined than those from the time of Sargon of Akkad.[18] One fragment in the main inscription probably contains parts of the name of Rimush himself.[16]

It is thought that the stele represents the defeat of Lagash by the troops of Akkad.[19] 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.[16][18] The stele was excavated in ancient Girsu, one of the main cities of the territory of Lagash.[20] The inscription describes the attribution of large plots of land from Lagash to the Akkadian nobility, following the victory.[18]

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  Possible victory stele of king Rimush (front)[21] Generally attributed to Rimush on stylistic grounds.[22]
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  Possible victory stele of king Rimush (back)[21]
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  Detail of the slaughtering of prisoners by Akkadian troops.[16]
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  Detail of a soldier escorting a prisoner
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  A prisoner from Lagash, circa 2270 BCE, on the Victory Stele.[23] The same hairstyle can be seen in other statues from Lagash.[24][25]
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  Fragment mentioning Akkad and Lagash, Louvre Museum, AO 2679.[26][25]

Conquest of Elam and Marhashi

Account of the victories of Rimush, king of Akkad, upon Abalgamash, king of Marhashi, and Emahsini, King of Elam. Louvre Museum AO5476.[27][28] In several inscriptions, Rimush described his conquest of Elam and Marhashi far to the east of Sumer, even mentioning victories over troops of Meluhha (probably India).[7][29][30]

There are also records of victorious campaigns against Elam and Marhashi (Sumerian name for the Akkadian "Parahshum") in his 3rd year.[7][31][32] According to the account, troops from the Indus Valley Civilization (Meluhha) also participated in the conflict:[7]

"Rimuš, the king of the world, in battle over Abalgamash, king of Parahshum, was victorious. And Zahara[33] and Elam and Gupin and Meluḫḫa within Paraḫšum assembled for battle, but he (Rimush) was victorious and struck down 16,212 men and took 4,216 captives. Further, he captured Emahsini, King of Elam, and all the nobles of Elam. Further he captured Sidaga'u the general of Paraḫšum and Sargapi, general of Zahara, in between the cities of Awan and Susa, by the "Middle River". Further a burial mound at the site of the town he heaped up over them. Furthermore, the foundations of Paraḫšum from the country of Elam he tore out, and so Rimuš, king of the world, rules Elam, (as) the god Enlil had shown..."

— Inscription of Rimush (RIME 2.01.02.08).[7][34][35]

The campaign resulted in 16,212 killed on the side of the enemies, and 4,216 captured and enslaved.[11] 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.[36]

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  "Abalgamash, King of Marhashi" (𒀀𒁀𒀠𒂵𒈦 𒈗 𒁀𒊏𒄴𒋳𒆠 Abalgamash Lugal Paraahshum-ki) on one of the Rimush inscriptions (Louvre Museum, AO 5476)
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  Prisoner of the Akkadian Empire, nude, fettered, drawn by nose ring, with pointed beard and vertical braid. Thought to depict a typical Marhashi.[37] 2350-2000 BCE, Louvre Museum AO 5683.[38]

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  Akkadian language cuneiform on Murex shell, with name of Rimush, 23rd century BC
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  Vase in the name of "Rimush, King of Kish", albaster, Tello ancient Girsu.
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  Name of Rimush on an inscription.
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  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.[39][40]

• History of Sumer

• Complete Rimush inscriptions