"Kingship developed in Sumer from the concept of the lugal ("strong man"), the head of a clan, who had been elevated to that position through effective leadership and military skills. The Sumerian King List gives the first monarch "after the Flood" as Enmebaragesi (reign circa 2700 BCE) of Kish, whose historicity is attested by archaeological evidence, but it also gives the names of legendary kings who ruled from Eridu before the Great Flood (c. 2900 BCE)."
"With the rise of a king, a division of responsibility was established between the throne and the temple; the king dealt with the administration of civic affairs, and the high priest or priestess with the concerns of the temple. Both king and clergy, however, were understood as serving the will of the primary gods of the state, and so were the officials under them, eventually including:"
Mesopotamian government rested on the belief that humans were created to serve the gods. Rulers and officials—high priests, kings, governors—served as divinely chosen stewards responsible for the people. The family provided the political model, with king and priest as household heads for the city-state or empire. Initially priests managed both religious and civic affairs, but kingship emerged in the Early Dynastic period and separated many civic duties from temples. Kingship grew from the Sumerian lugal, elevated for leadership and military skill; the Sumerian King List names early and legendary rulers. A division of responsibilities placed civic administration under the king and temple matters under priests.
Read at World History Encyclopedia
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]