Ush, king of Umma

Ush (𒍑 UΕ‘, possibly read Ninta) was King or ensi of Umma, a city-state in Sumer, circa 2400 BCE.[1]

Ush
𒍑
King of Umma
Imprisoned man of Umma on the Stele of the Vultures
Reignc. 2500  BCE β€“ 2400  BCE
PredecessorPabilgagaltuku
SuccessorEnakalle
Dynasty1st Dynasty of Umma

Ush is mentioned in various inscriptions, such as the Cone of Entemana as having violated the frontier with Lagash, a frontier which had been solemly established by king Mesilim.[1]

8–12

π’ˆ¨π’² π’ˆ—π’†§π’† π’†€ π’…— π’€­π’…—π’²π’ˆΎπ’‹« π’‚  π’ƒ· π’‰π’Š 𒆠𒁀 π’ˆΎ π’‰ˆπ’†•
me-silim lugal kiΕ‘ki-ke4 inim diΕ‘taran-na-ta eΕ‘2 gana2 be2-ra ki-ba na bi2-ru2
"Mesilim, king of KiΕ‘, at the command of IΕ‘taran, measured the field and set up a stele there."
13–17
𒍑 π’‰Ίπ’‹Όπ’‹› 𒄑𒆡𒆠𒆀 𒉆 π’…—π’ˆ  π’‹›π’€€π’‹›π’€€π’‚  π’‚Šπ’€
uΕ‘ ensi2 ummaki-ke4 nam inim-ma diri-diri-Ε‘e3 e-ak
"Ush, ruler of Umma, acted unspeakably."
18–21
π’ˆΎπ’†•π’€€π’‰ π’‰Œπ’‰» π’‚” 𒉒𒁓𒆷𒆠𒂠 π’‰Œπ’Ί
na-ru2-a-bi i3-pad edin lagaőki-őe3 i3-g̃en
"He ripped out that stele and marched toward the plain of LagaΕ‘."

Extract from the Cone of Enmetena, Room 236 Reference AO 3004, Louvre Museum.[2][3]
Ush was king of Umma, circa 2400 BCE.

According to Enmetena’s account, Ush is the one who invaded the territory of Lagash, and his invasion was then repelled, although the name of the ruler of Lagash who confronted him that time is not mentioned explicitly:[4]

"Ninta (β€œUő”), the governor of Umma, turned the matter into something that exceeds (any) word. He smashed that stela and marched on the plain of Lagash. Ningirsu, the warrior of Enlil, at his just command, did battle with Umma. At Enlil’s command, he spread the great throwing-net over it, and set up burial mounds for it on the plains.”

— Cone of Enmetena[4]

It is thought that Ush was severely defeated by Eannatum, king of Lagash.[5] The victory of Eannatum is mentioned in a fragmentary inscription on the stele, suggesting that after the loss of 3,600 soldiers on the field, Ush, king of Umma, was killed in a rebellion in his capital city of Umma:

"(Eanatum) defeated him. Its (Umma's) 3600 corpses reached the base of heaven (...) raised (their) hands against him and killed him in Umma"

— Stele of the Vultures[1]

Eannatum, king of Lagash, later made a boundary treaty with Enakalle, successor of Ush, settling the matter, as described in the Cone of Entemana.[6]

See also

References
  1. Sallaberger, Walther; Schrakamp, Ingo (2015). History & Philology (PDF). Walther Sallaberger & Ingo Schrakamp (eds), Brepols. p. 75. ISBN 978-2-503-53494-7.
  2. "Cone of Enmetena, king of Lagash". 2020.
  3. "CDLI-Found Texts". cdli.ucla.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-12.
  4. Sallaberger, Walther; Schrakamp, Ingo (2015). History & Philology (PDF). Walther Sallaberger & Ingo Schrakamp (eds), Brepols. p. 75. ISBN 978-2-503-53494-7.
  5. The Cities of Babylonia. Cambridge Ancient History. p. 28.
  6. The Cities of Babylonia. Cambridge Ancient History. p. 28.
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