Genre and Cities in the Sumerian City Laments

The five texts, commonly referred to as the Sumerian city laments, detail the destruction of different Sumerian cities, particularly Ur, Nippur, Uruk, and Eridu. This dissertation will compare the similarities and differences between these texts, and between the laments and Sumerian literary texts similar in either structure or content, in an attempt to define the parameters of the genre. Additionally, this dissertation will examine the portrayal of the city in these texts, with a focus on the traditions of rebuilding, the relation between gods and cities, and agricultural activities. The dissertation will be supported by a new translation of the laments.