The Kings of Ancient Sumer
|
There were many kings in ancient Sumer, but there is one very famous king. The king is Ur-Nammu.
Ur-Nammu was the founder of the 3rd dynasty of Ur. He was also the first king of the 3rd dynasty. He was known for building many aqueducts and for re-constructing many ziggurats. A ziggurat is a kind of stepped pyramid. On the top of a ziggurat, there will be a temple dedicated to a god or goddess. Ur-Nammu's most famous ziggurat would be the Great Ziggurat of Ur, dedicated to the god Nanna(see "religion" to learn more about Sumerian gods and goddesses). Another thing that made Ur-Nammu well-known is his code of laws. Ur-Nammu's code of law seperated people into 2 different categories- citizens and slaves. Slaves could be servants or even craftsmen. The code also dealt with punishments and relationships. It showed rules about marriage and divorce. Ur-Nammu became king after he was the governer. He was chosen to be the king later on. After he resigned, he made his decendant, Shulgi the king. |