Gilgamesh and Aga of Kish | Siege of Uruk (History of Mesopotamia)

The Epic of Gilgamesh was an epic poem featuring the deified ruler of Uruk, Gilgamesh. The warrior, along with friend Enkidu, would travel to defeat the ogre Humbaba, slay the ball of heaven, and, after Enkidu's death, a journey to uncover the secret of eternal life. This all sounds fantastical, but there is evidence Gilgamesh actually lived and ruled Uruk. The poem, Gilgamesh and Aga, tells a story entirely based in reality, that we can place around 2580 BCE, depicting a war between the new dominant power, and a city in decline. Tensions in ancient Sumer are still high. The early dynastic period, lasting from around 2900 to 2350 BCE, saw the populations of Sumer's city-state swell. Less people were living rurally, preferring to live in the urban centers. This is probably due to the constant warfare between the rival cities. It's around 2580 BCE, and the declining city-state of Uruk is about to name a new lugal, or king. Uruk had gone from being a hegemonic power in the Uruk period to ending up as a vassal to other city-states, such as Kish in the north. Kish was part of the Semitic sphere of linguistic influence, despite being a Sumerian city, and was at its peak around this time, and was most likely the preeminent city-state in Sumer. It was ruled by Aga of Kish, the last ruler of the first dynasty of Kish. In the poem, Aga is said to demand of Uruk that its citizens be turned into slaves and dig wells for Kish. Ancient Sumer was very reliant on irrigation. Gilgamesh refuses, and convinces the city fathers, in one of the first recorded assemblies in history, to take part in an uprising against the oppressors. He is then named Lugal. Accounts differ, but anywhere from one to ten days later, Aga and his army arrive at the walls of Uruk, some say along with his allies the Lugal of Nippur, the religious center, and Lugal of Aisin. The army was most likely not more than one thousand men in total. Inside Uruk, the locals have no idea what's going on and are scared. Gilgamesh is unfazed, and asks for a volunteer to go out to meet Aga. His faithful royal soldier, Behatura, jumps at the opportunity, and leaves to meet the leader of Kish. Upon meeting the army, Behatura is captured, interrogated, and tortured. Aga tries to break him and make him proclaim Aga himself as his king, but the loyal soldier refuses, saying Gilgamesh is his only king. This raises the morale of Uruk's troops still within the walls, while casting doubts in the ranks of Aga's army. Soon after, Gilgamesh appears on Uruk's walls, shining brilliantly, as his friend Enkidu drives forth from the city, with the rejuvenated Uruk army, to repel the siege. Aga was captured, but Gilgamesh owed the Kishite Lugal a debt of gratitude, so lets him go free. Aga's allies, the Luguls of Isin and Nippur aren't so lucky. The story is the end of Kishite dominance, and with the score settled between Gilgamesh and Aga, so too are they now seen as equal, independent, kings, of equal, independent, city-states.