The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

The Victory Stele 
of Naram-Sin

The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin was found in Susa of Iran. It is known that the purpose of this limestone carved stele, is to celebrate the victory of Naram-Sin the King of Akkad, over the Lullubi. Naram-Sin was the grand son of best-known Akkad King Sargon. The stele tells a story about what happened in the battlefield. Naram-Sin himself is the biggest and the most important figure depicted in the stele. Everyone else on the stele, looks to Naram-Sin directly. This victorious commander has been depicted much taller than other warriors in a traditional manner while leading his army in an attack on the mountain.

Other Figures in the Stele

Lullubi King Satuni

His helmeted warriors gridded on their axes and bows, are going after him as an indication of loyalty. Naram-Sin tramples the bodies of his enemies, while Lullubi King Satuni tries to tear the arrow piercing out of his throat on his knees. Another figure behind him, raises his hands to his mouth, begging the Akkadian King for mercy. But Naram-Sin’s attention was focused on top of the Zagros Mountains where the Akkad army marched to conquer.

Stars in the 
Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

At top of the stele, two oval figures which possibly refer to stars, glitter their lights upon Naram-Sin in order to provide a protection to him, while he is climbing to reach them on top of the mountain. It is seen that peak point of the mountain and those solar circles, touch each other slightly. The Akkadian king wears a conical helmet with horns which is a traditional symbol of the privilege for gods and is armed with a large bow and axe. The King Naram-Sin has a heroic representation which depicts himself as a god in a sense. He has some effects on the artistic and literary expressions of that period.

Victory Steles as Political Propaganda

Akkad King Naram-Sin

The stele indicates a change towards a clearer and more conscious use of iconic and epigraphic monuments having the feature of propaganda and celebration for a ruler's achievements. The elements in the stele, already developed in the Early Dynastic period, from votive statutes to victory steles which were remodelled for the purpose of spreading political propaganda. Those votive monuments were not built only in Ekur of Nippur. Some of them were built in other sanctuaries in the whole empire from Sippar to Ur. The statues basically remained with the king in a standing posture on a pedestal. They generally were decorated with prisoners of war or defeated enemies.

Akkad Troops 
following Naram-Sin

This representation, together with a bunch of inscriptions and dedications, changed the aim of these monuments in time. Previously these monuments have been implying for a king to worship the gods. Then the purpose of them became celebrating the victories of a king. The way of these celebrations has created more opportunities to express a new role for the ruler. When a warrior was able to win a fight in the Early Dynastic period, his depiction would take a place in the block of the stele, however he was representing the urban community which contains individuals with initiatives. They seemed in shape of the kings but carved in smaller sizes.

Where were they located?

Mother Goddess Ishtar

The steles were placed important locations such as city centers of the empire or in temples to make everyone notice. Even some of them, are placed on the edges of the empire to let other societies observe. Besides royal monuments, seals which were smaller and personal objects had been used in the aim of making propaganda in the Early Dynastic Period. Although their shapes vary in a large scale, therianthropic (human-animal mixed form) representations were mostly common such as Shamash and Ishtar which were mother goddess figurines and refer to the earth's fertility. Besides, they also interacted with myths symbolically, there is no doubt that these figurines acquired an influential role from the perspective of former fertility and chthonic deities.