The Akkadian Empire and Sargon of Akkad

Sargon of Akkad (c. 2334-2279 BCE, according to the middle chronology commonly used in ancient history textbooks) founded the Akkadian Empire by unifying the Sumerian city-states of southern Mesopotamia under his authority and extending his rule northward and westward, reaching, according to the sources, areas close to the Mediterranean. He is traditionally regarded as the founder of the first known territorial empire in history, understood as a political structure that brought together, under a single central government, territories of diverse peoples and languages.