Utu-hengal

There are several theories regarding his background. The most common is that he was a governor of Uruk who revolted against the Gutian kings. He led the cities of Sumer against the last Gutian king Tirigan. After a battle at an unknown location, Utu-Hengal was victorious and forced Tirigan to flee back towards Gutium. Tirigan fled to the city of Dubrum (location unknown) where the people treated him kindly. However, once the people of Dubrum heard that Utu-Hengal was marching towards the city, they took Tirigan and his family prisoner. He was brought before Utu-Hengal, and agreed to leave Sumer and retreat back to Gutium. ==Reign==

After defeating the Gutians, Utu-hengal established himself as the king of Sumer. In the seventh year of the kingship he died in an accident when inspecting a dam (leading some to suspect foul play), and was succeeded by the governor of Ur, Ur-Nammu, as the king of Sumer. He was thus the only king of the fifth dynasty of Uruk. In fact Sumerian people have always treated Utu-hengal's kingship and the Ur III dynasty together as a single continuous dynasty, with Utu-hengal as the founder. Utu-hengal has been praised as one of the greatest historical figures and heroes of Sumerian people. Titulature In his Victory Stele, Utu-hengal describes himself as: ==Attestations==

Utu-hengal is known through numerous inscriptions. Victory stele A victory stele was erected in Uruk by Utu-Hengal, a copy of which was made during the Dynasty of Isin, now in the Louvre Museum (AO 6018). The stele described the victory of Utu-Hengal over the Gutians, particularly their king Tirigan. The beginning of the inscription reads: {{blockquote| "Enlil! Gutium, the fanged snake of the mountain ranges, a people who acted violently against the gods, people who the kingship of Sumer to the mountains took away, who Sumer with wickedness filled, who from one with a wife his wife took away from him, who from one with a child his child took away from him, who wickedness and violence produced within the country— Enlil, the king of all the lands, to obliterate its name, Utuḫegal, the mighty man, the king of Uruk, the king of the four world quarters, the king whose utterances cannot be countermanded, Enlil, the king of all the lands, issued to him a command about this. To Inanna his lady he went and prayed to her, (saying) "My lady, lioness of battle, who the foreign lands batters, Enlil, the kingship of Sumer to return to its own control he commanded me. May you be my ally." An army of many foreigners bore down upon the land everywhere. Tirigan, the king of Gutium, opened its (canal?) mouths, but no one came out against him. Both banks of the Tigris he had seized. To the south, in Sumer, the cultivated land he tied up, to the north, the roads he tied up. On the highways of the country he made tall grasses grow (....) By the envoys of Utuḫegal Tirigan and his wife and children in Dabrum were captured. They placed fetters on his hands and put a cloth (blindfold) over his eyes. Utuḫegal before Utu made him lie at his (Utu’s) feet, and on his neck he set his foot. Gutium, the fanged snake of the mountain ranges, he made drink from the cracks in the earth." Copper-alloy vase . utu-he2-gal2 / nita kal-ga / lugal unuki-ga / lugal an-ub-da limmu5-ba'' "Utu-hengal, the great man, King of Uruk, King of the four quarters of the world" A copper-alloy vase, now in the British Museum (BM 1999,0731.1), has an inscription by Utu-hengal: Stone fragment Another fragmentary inscription of Utu-hengal, also in the British Museum, only mentions his name and titulature: "Utu-hengal, the great man, King of Uruk, King of the four quarters of the world". File:Part of a stone monument inscribed with the name of Utu-hegal, king of Uruk. Circa 2125 BCE. From Ur, Iraq. The British Museum, London.jpg|Part of a stone monument inscribed with the name of "Utu-hengal, the great man, King of Uruk, King of the four quarters of the world". Circa 2125 BC. From Ur, Iraq. The British Museum, London. File:Utu-Hengal in cuneiform.jpg|"Utu-Hen(gal)" in cuneiform File:Utu-hengal inscription.jpg|Utu-hengal inscription. "Utu-hengal, the great man, King of Uruk, King of the four quarters of the world". == References ==