The mythology of Akkadian Kings

This dissertation investigates the transformation of Akkadian kings, specifically Sargon and Naram-Sîn, from historical figures into models of royal legitimacy in Near Eastern mythology. It examines motifs such as the obscure or extraordinary origins of the king who rises to power and his heroic conquests in extreme or marginal regions, exploring their evolution in Mesopotamian and Hittite traditions – particularly in the way they are reworked through textual transmission and translation – and traces their possible echoes in Greek mythology, for instance in narratives about city-founding tyrants and their claims to legitimacy. The study utilizes philological, narratological, and comparative approaches to contextualize how these myths were adapted to specific cultural and political settings, responding to and shaping ideological paradigms. Ultimately, the project aims to uncover patterns of motif transmission across different traditions, thereby contributing to our understanding of crosscultural influences on the conceptualization of kingship and myth in the ancient Mediterranean.