Below is the sixth in a series of articles from Mark McLaughlin showcasing the 16 civilizations in Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East. You can find the first five articles in the series here.

[Sargon] had neither rival nor equal. His splendor, over the lands it diffused. He crossed the sea in the east. In the eleventh year he conquered the western land to its farthest point. He brought it under one authority. He set up his statues there and ferried the west’s booty across on barges. He stationed his court officials at intervals of five double hours and ruled in unity the tribes of the lands. He marched to Kazallu, and turned Kazallu into a ruin heap, so that there was not even a perch for a bird left.

from a collection of tablets found in Babylon and known as The Chronicle of the Kings describing an incident in the reign of Sargon of Akkad (2334-2284 BC)

Akkad is best remembered as the seat of power of the first emperor of Mesopotamia – Sargon the Great. At its height, his empire stretched from the shores of the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean, and from the Arabian dessert to the Zagros Mountains and even into the middle of Anatolia. Sargon conquered Babylon and Sumer and pushed the Elamites back to the east. His empire began to unravel and collapse of its own weight about a century after Sargon’s death with the result that its core area was eventually absorbed by the aggressive Assyrians. The size of Sargon’s empire is not its imperial legacy, however, for its literary and linguistic legacy had the most lasting impact. Akkadian remained the language of government and commerce for all the kingdoms and empires of the region, right up until the fall of the Perisan empire. Akkad is the oldest Semitic dialect still in use.

In the game, Akkad’s strength is both represented and rooted in its ability to draw, choose and keep an extra Fate card (or two) provided it can maintain a City in or adjacent to its homeland. Located in the heart of the Fertile Crescent, it is surrounded by prime real estate for growth as well as a central position from which to strike out against its foes.

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Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East: Meet the Sumerians

Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East: Meet the Egyptians

Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East: Meet the Elamites

Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East: Meet the Indus Valley Civilizations (or “Dravidians, Harappans, and Mauryans, oh my!”)

Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East: Meet the Assyrians