Epics of Sumerian Kings: The Matter of Aratta (Writings from the Ancient World)

Epics of Sumerian Kings presents for the first time both the authoritative Sumerian text and an elegant English translation of four epics which are major works in the Sumerian literary canon and the earliest epics known in any language. The epics revolve around the conflict between the cities of Uruk (biblical Erech) in ancient Iraq and Aratta in neighboring Iran. The introduction discusses the intellectual and cultural context of the epics, their poetics and meaning, and the significance of the cycle as a whole. The volume will interest scholars and students of Assyriology and of the ancient Near East, biblical scholars, and general readers, and will be an invaluable resource for courses on ancient Near Eastern literature or history.