The City of Aridu in Ancient Sumerian Elegies

Abstract

The inhabitants of Mesopotamia were interested in various forms of literature, leaving no art untouched. They particularly showed great interest in the art of elegy. The texts of Sumerian, Akkadian, and Assyrian civilizations reflect their interest in elegiac literature, through which they expressed their sorrow and emotions towards significant events. Among these elegies is the Elegy of Aridu, which reflects the political situation in the southern part of Mesopotamia after the fall of the Third Ur Dynasty at the hands of the Elamites. The Elamites destroyed and devastated cities in the southern region, and Aridu was one of the cities that suffered ruin and destruction. In this elegy, the poet expresses his sadness and pain towards the devastation of the city of Aridu.