Editing Lagash (section)

====Eannatum====
The next ruler, [[Eannatum]] (earlier referred to as "Eannadu"), son of Akurgal and grandson of Ur-Nanshe, turned Lagash into a major power extending throughout large areas of Mesopotamia and to the east as well. In an inscription found at ancient [[Adab (city)|Adab]]:
{{blockquote|text="Eannatum, ruler of Lagash, granted strength by Enlil, nourished with special milk by Ninhursag, nominated by Ningirsu, chosen in her heart by Nanshe, son of Akurgal ruler of Lagash, defeated mountainous Elam, defeated [[Urua]], defeated Umma, defeated Ur. At that time, he built a well of fired bricks for Ningirsu in his (Ningirsu’s) broad courtyard. His personal god is [[Shul-utula|Shulultul]]. Then, Ningirsu loved Eannatum."<ref>Wilson, Karen, "[https://isac.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/shared/docs/oip138.pdf Bismaya: Recovering the Lost City of Adab]", Oriental Institute Publications 138, Chicago, Ill, Univ. of Chicago Press, 2012 ISBN 9781885923639</ref>
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[[File:P1130735 Louvre stèle des Vautours rwk.JPG|thumb|[[Eannatum]], King of Lagash, riding a war chariot (detail of the [[Stele of the Vultures]]). His name "Eannatum" (𒂍𒀭𒈾𒁺) is written vertically in two columns in front of his head. [[Louvre Museum]].]]
Another inscription detail his destruction of "Kiš,  Akšak, and Mari at a place  named Antasur". He also claimed to have taken the city of [[Akshak]] and killed its king, Zuzu.<ref>Curchin, Leonard, "Eannatum and the Kings of Adab", Revue d’Assyriologie et d’archéologie Orientale, vol. 71, no. 1, pp. 93–95, 1977</ref> Eannatum took the city of Uru'az on the [[Persian Gulf]], and exacted tribute as far as [[Mari, Syria|Mari]]; however, many of the realms he conquered were often in revolt.<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315658032-11/birth-elam-history-piotr-steinkeller|chapter=The birth of Elam in history|date=2018-01-29|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-315-65803-2|language=en|doi=10.4324/9781315658032-11|title=The Elamite World |last1=Steinkeller |first1=Piotr |pages=177–202 }}</ref> During his reign, temples and palaces were repaired or erected at Lagash and elsewhere and canals and reservoirs were excavated.<ref>Vukosavović, Filip, "On Some Early Dynastic Lagaš Temples", Die Welt Des Orients, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 126–30, 2014</ref> During his reign, [[Dilmun]] was a major trading partner.<ref>Foster, Benjamin R. and Foster, Karen Polinger, "Early City-States", Civilizations of Ancient Iraq, Princeton: Princeton University Press,  pp. 35-50, 2009</ref>

A long running border dispute, dating back at least to the time of Lugalshaengur, existed between the city-states of Umma and Lagash.<ref>Hritz, C., "[https://oi.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/shared/docs/Publications/SAOC/saoc71.pdf The Umma-Lagash Border Conflict: A View from Above]" in Altaweel, M. and Hritz, C. (eds.), From Sherds to Landscapes: Studies on the Ancient Near East in Honor of McGuire Gibson. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, pp. 109–32, 2021</ref> In the time of Umma ruler Enakalle a formal border was established, mediated by Mesilim, “king of Kish”. Eannatum restored the border, including the boundary markers of [[Mesilim]].

{{blockquote|text="Eanatum, ruler of Lagash, uncle of Enmetena ruler of Lagash, demarcated the border with Enakalle, ruler of Umma. He extended the [boundary-]channel from the Nun-channel to Guʾedena, leaving a 215-nindan [= 1,290 meters] [strip] of Ningirsu’s land under Umma’s control, establishing a no-man’s land there. He  inscribed [and  erected] monuments at that [boundary-]channel, and restored the monument of Mesilim, but did not cross into the plain of Umma. 
"<ref>Jerrold S. Cooper, "Reconstructing History from Ancient Inscriptions:The Lagash-Umma Border Conflict", Sources from the Ancient Near East 2/1; Malibu, CA: Undena, 1983</ref>
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[[File:This cuneiform text gives the city of Umma's account of its long-running border dispute with Lagash. Circa 2350 BCE. From Umma, Iraq. The British Museum, London.jpg|thumb|Vase of King [[Gishakidu]], king of Umma, and son of [[Ur-Lumma]], giving the city of Umma's account of its long-running border dispute with Lagash. The vase redefines the frontier by recording the locations of stelae to the god [[Shara (god)|Shara]], as well as the distances between them. Circa 2350 BC. From Umma, Iraq. Ref. 140889, [[British Museum]], London.<ref>{{cite news |title=Vase of Lugalzagezi |url=https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=368267&page=5&partId=1&searchText=lugalzagesi |work=British Museum }}{{dead link|date=April 2024}}</ref>]]
In c. 2450 BC, Lagash and the neighboring city of [[Umma]] fell out with each other after a border dispute over the Guʾedena, a fertile area lying between them. As described in [[Stele of the Vultures]], of which only a portion has been found (7 fragments), the current king of Lagash, [[Eannatum]], inspired by the patron god of his city, [[Ningirsu]], set out with his army to defeat the nearby city.<ref>Winter, Irene J., "After the Battle Is Over: The ‘Stele of the Vultures’ and the Beginning of Historical Narrative in the Art of the Ancient Near East", Studies in the History of Art, vol. 16, pp. 11–32, 1985</ref> According to the Stele's engravings, when the two sides met each other in the field, Eannatum dismounted from his chariot and proceeded to direct his men on foot. After lowering their spears, the Lagash army advanced upon the army from Umma in a dense [[Phalanx formation|phalanx]].<ref>Alster, Bendt., "Images and Text on the ‘Stele of the Vultures.’", Archiv Für Orientforschung, vol. 50, pp. 1–10, 2003</ref> After a brief clash, Eannatum and his army had gained victory over the army of Umma.  This battle is one of the earliest depicted organised battles known to scholars and historians.<ref name=Battle>{{cite book|last=Grant|first=R.G.|title=Battle|year=2005|publisher=Dorling Kindersley Limited|location=London|isbn=978-1-74033-593-5}}</ref>

Eannatum was succeeded by his brother, [[En-anna-tum I]]. Given the many inscriptions his reign is assumed to be of some length. Most of them detailed the usual temple construction. On long tablet described the continued conflict with Umma:
{{blockquote|text="For the god Hendursag, chief herald of the Abzu En-anatum, [ru]ler of [Laga]š ...  When the god Enlil(?)], for the god [Nin]g[ir]s[u], took [Gu'edena] from the hands of Gisa (Umma) and filled En-anatum’s hands with it, Ur-LUM-ma, ruler of Gisa (Umma), [h]i[red] [(mercenaries from) the foreign lands] and transgressed the boun[da]ry-channel of the god Ningirsu (and said): ... En-anatum crushed Ur-LUM-ma, ruler of Gisa (Umma) as far as E-kisura (“Boundary) Channel”) of the god Ninœirsu. He pursued him into the ... of (the town) LUM-ma-girnunta. (En-anatum) gagged (Ur-LUM-ma) (against future land claims)"<ref name="Frayne" />
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The conflict from the Umma side of things from its ruler [[Ur-Lumma]]:
{{blockquote|text="Urlumma, ruler of Umma, diverted water into the boundary-channel of Ningirsu and the boundary-channel of Nan-she. He set fire to their monuments and smashed them, and destroyed the established chapels of the gods that were built on the boundary-levee called Namnunda-kigara. He recruited foreigners and transgressed the boundary-ditch of Ningirsu."<ref>Cooper, Jerrold S., "Sumerian and Akkadian Royal Inscriptions, I. Presargonic Inscriptions", The  American  Oriental  Society  Translation  Series  1, New Haven: American Oriental Society, 1986</ref>
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