The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

Located at the Louvre in Paris, the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin is a stele that dates to roughly 2254–2218 BC, during the Akkadian Empire. The 200cm (6' 7") tall relief was carved from pink limestone and has writings in Akkadian and Elamite. It shows the Lullubi, a mountain people from the Zagros Mountains, being defeated by the Akkadian army under the command of King Naram-Sin of Akkad.

The stele depicts a story in which the monarch scales the treacherous mountains into enemy territory. On the left, the orderly imperial armies march over the disorganized defenders who are lying broken and vanquished. The most significant character is clearly Naram-Sin, who towers over his adversaries and army and is the focus of all attention. The disorganized and feeble opposing forces are depicted being flung off the mountainside, pierced by spears, running away, pleading with Naram-Sin for mercy, and being crushed under Naram-feet. Sin's. This is meant to suggest that they are uncivilized and primitive, which justifies the conquering. Estimates of its initial height range up to three meters, despite the fact that it is currently just about two meters tall.

The stele is distinctive in two ways. Most representations of conquests are horizontal, with the king positioned top-center. The king is still at the top-center of this steele's diagonal representation of the victory, but he is now in a position where everyone else can look up to him. The depiction of Naram-Sin as having bull horns on his helmet or appearing as a lion's visage is the piece's second distinctive feature. At the time this stele was ordered, only the Gods wore helmets of this kind. This stele is essentially telling the observer that Naram-divine Sin's status makes him a successful conqueror. That's all about the fifth outstanding example of Mesopotamian art we want to mention.