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30 Hymns to Inanna—henceforth known by the Akkadian name Ishtar —had her tell Sargon that he would be remembered “by the destruction of the rebel land, massacring its people, making its rivers run with blood.” Sargon’s military expeditions were recorded and glorified in his own royal annals; his achieve- ments were summarized in the Sargon Chronicle thus: Sharru-kin, king of Aggade, Rose to power in the era of Ishtar. He left neither rival nor opponent. He spread his terror-inspiring awe in all the lands. He crossed the sea in the east, He conquered the country of the west in its full extent. The boast implies that the sacred space-related site, the Land- ing Place deep in the “country of the west,” was captured and held in behalf of Inanna/Ishtar—but not without opposition. Even texts written in glorification of Sargon state that “in his old age all the provinces revolted against him.” Counteran- nals, recording the events as viewed from Marduk’s side, re- veal that Marduk led a punishing counteroffensive: On account of the sacrilege Sargon committed, the great god Marduk became enraged... From east to west he alienated the people from Sargon, and punished him with an affliction of being without rest. Sargon’s territorial reach, it needs to be noted, included only one of the four post-Diluvial space-related sites—only the Landing Place in the Cedar Forest (see Fig. 3). Sargon was briefly succeeded on the throne of Sumer & Akkad by two sons, but his true successor in spirit and deed was a grandson named Naram-Sin. The name meant “Sin’s favorite,” but the annals and inscriptions concerning his reign and military campaigns show that he was in fact Ishtar’s favorite. Texts and depictions record that Ishtar encouraged the king to seek grandeur and greatness by ceaseless conquest and destruc- THE END OF DAYS