Aga of Kish

Name

The name of Aga is Sumerian and a relatively rarely attested personal name in Early Dynastic times, making his identification in royal texts spottable. His name appears in the Stele of Ushumgal, as the gal-ukkin ("Great Assembly official").

AK was likely an Early Dynastic spelling of Akka, (the past particle of the Sumerian verb "to make"). The name in question is to be interpreted as a Sumerian genitival phrase, Akka probably means "Made by [a god]" (ak + Divine Name.ak).

+ Distinct forms attested of Aga's name Aga's name appears in the Stele of Ushumgal and the Gem of King Aga, both showing influence over Umma.

Reign According to the Sumerian King List (ETCSL 2.1.1), Kish had the hegemony of Sumer where he reigned 625 years, succeeding his father Enmebaragesi to the throne, finally ending in defeat by Uruk. His reign probably covered Umma, and consequently Zabala, which was a dependent of it in the Early Dynastic Period; this can be supported on his appearance in the Gem of King Aga, where he is mentioned as the king of Umma.

Gilgamesh and Aga

In the poem Gilgamesh and Aga (ETCSL 1.8.1.1), Aga of Kish sends messengers to his vassal Gilgamesh in Uruk with a demand slave labor for the irrigation of Kish.

Gilgamesh repeats the message before the "city fathers" (ab-ba-iri) to suggest defiance of Aga, but the elders refuse. Gilgamesh, goes on to incite rebellion among the guruš (able-bodied men) who would have to do the labor. They refer to Aga as the "son of the king", which suggests he was still young and immature. The guruš accept Gilgamesh's call to revolt and declare him lugal (king).

After ten days, Aga lays siege to the walls of Uruk, whose citizens are now confused and intimidated. Gilgamesh asks for a volunteer to stand before Aga; his royal guard Birhurtura offers himself. On leaving the city gates, he is captured and brought before Aga, who interrogates and tortures him. Aga asks an Uruk soldier leaning over the wall if Birhurtura is his king. Birhurtura denies this, replying that when the true king appears, he will beat capture Aga and beat his army to dust. The infuriated Aga redoubles his torture.

Then Gilgamesh leans over the wall. Aga withstands his divine radiance, but it terrifies the Kishite army. Enkidu and the guruš take advantage of their confusion to cut through them and capture Aga in the middle of his army. Gilgamesh addresses Aga as his superior, remembering how Aga saved his life and gave him refuge; Aga withdraws his demand and begs his favor to be returned. Gilgamesh, in the sight of his god Utu, sets Aga free to return to Kish.

Replacement in the poem The Shulgi Hymn O (ETCSL 2.1.1) of the Ur III ruler Shulgi (c. 2094 BC – 2047 BC) praises Gilgamesh for defeating Enmebaragesi of Kish rather than his son. While such an encounter is quite conceivable, the assumption of two different wars is difficult to uphold because Gilgamesh emerges as victorious in both; his first victory would have left Kish already defeated, pre-empting the second victory. If Gilgamesh had won a previous war against Kish, he would not have spoken with Aga of past military cooperation and indebtedness for saving his life.

Another theory is that for literary considerations, the founding hegemon Enmebaragesi would be a more impressive opponent than his son. Enmebaragesi was merely inserted to replace Aga, and the different versions of the hymn constitute to a single literary work.