Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin
Victory of Naram-Sin over the mountain tribe of the Lullubi and their king Satuni, Louvre Museum.
Material	Limestone
Height	200 centimetres (79 in)
Width	150 centimetres (59 in)
Created	c. 2250 BC
Period/culture	Akkadian Empire
Discovered	Jacques de Morgan, 1898
Place	Sippar, later moved to Susa
Present location	Musée du Louvre, Paris
Identification	Sb 4
Sippar class=notpageimage| Original location of the stele, in Sippar, Mesopotamia, modern Iraq, before being moved to Susa, Iran, by Shutruk-Nakhunte in the 12th century BC.

The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin is a stele that dates to approximately 2254–2218 BC, in the time of the Akkadian Empire, and is now at the Louvre in Paris. The relief measures 200 cm. in height (6' 7")^[1] and was carved in pinkish sandstone,^[2] with cuneiform writings in Akkadian and Elamite. It depicts the King Naram-Sin of Akkad leading the Akkadian army to victory over the Lullubi, a mountain people from the Zagros Mountains.

The stele shows a narrative scene of the king crossing the steep slopes into enemy territory; on the left are the ordered imperial forces keeping in rank while marching over the disordered defenders that lie broken and defeated. Naram-Sin is shown as by far the most important figure, towering over his enemy and troops and all eyes gaze up toward him. The weak and chaotic opposing forces are shown being thrown from atop the mountainside, impaled by spears, fleeing and begging Naram-Sin for mercy as well as being trampled underfoot by Naram-Sin himself. This is supposed to convey their uncivilized and barbaric nature making the conquest justified.^[1] Though currently about two meters in height estimates of its original height range up to three meters.^[2]