NaramSin

Naram-Sin (c. 2254–2218 BCE), also written Narām-Sīn, was an Akkadian ruler and the grandson of Sargon the Great. He was the son of Manishtushu and reigned circa 2254–2218 BCE, during a period often regarded as the height of the Akkadian Empire.

During his reign, Naram-Sin expanded Akkadian influence beyond the core Mesopotamian cities into the Zagros frontier and maintained control over northern and western Mesopotamia. He used the title king of the four quarters of the world and promoted the idea of the king as a divine figure. The most famous monument from his rule is the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, discovered at Susa and now housed in the Louvre. The stele shows the king marching in a commander’s stance, wearing a horned helmet symbolizing divinity, and stepping over a defeated adversary. The inscription praises his conquests and his receipt of divine status during his lifetime, marking a notable departure in royal iconography.

Naram-Sin’s death is followed by a rapid decline of the Akkadian Empire, as internal strife, economic troubles, and external pressures, including incursions by the Gutians, weakened central authority. His reign is often cited as the peak of Akkadian power and as an early example of the royal ideology that equated the king with divinity. The empire never fully recovered its former extent after his death.