Terracotta brick of Eannatum, Prince of Lagash (Girsu, c. 2450 BC).Eannatum gives his title and desc

Terracotta brick of Eannatum, Prince of Lagash (Girsu, c. 2450 BC).Eannatum gives his title and describes his victories over the land ofElam and over Urua, Umma and Ur. He also describes the constructionof a brick well in front of the temple of Ningirsu (Ninurta).Eannatum was one of the most important Sumerian kings. He reignedduring the Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia, probably during the2400s BC, and was part of the First Dynasty of Lagash. He createdthe first empire in human history, with Lagash at its centre. Thisempire included most of Sumer, and parts of neighbouring Elam.During the Early Dynastic Period, there was a shift from the ensi(priest-king) to a more modern concept of a king called a lugal(“big man”). The lugal oversaw the cultivation of theland, and was bound by the gods to ensure that their will was done onearth.Originally, the lugal was head of a “household” – aclosely-knit community that pooled its resources. The householdconcept continued as the underlying power structure of the cities.The Sumerian cities were periodically united under a single king. Inc. 2700 BC, Enmebaragesi of Kish led Sumer against Elam in the firstrecorded war in history. The Sumerians won, and they sacked theElamite cities.Eannatum later reconquered parts of Elam, and so did Lugal-zage-siduring the late 2300s BC. But these kings could never fully controlthe Sumerian city-states.The last king of the First Dynasty of Lagash was Urukagina. He wasdefeated by Lugal-zage-si of Umma, the only king of the Third Dynastyof Uruk. Lugal-zage-si led Umma’s final victory in thegeneration-long conflict with Lagash over the fertile plain ofGu-Edin. Then he united Sumer as a single kingdom, but only briefly,for he was soon defeated by Sargon of Akkad. -- source link

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