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The only primary sources that shed any light on Sargon’s origins were written after his death and are usually laudatory legends. One legend states that Sargon was born along the Euphrates River to a high-priestess mother and a father he never knew. <ref> Pritchard, James B, ed. <i>Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament.</i> 3rd ed. (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1992), p. 119</ref> Although the text offers little about Sargon’s family, the mention of the Euphrates River may indicate a general location of Akkad. Some modern scholars believe that Akkad was located in the vicinity of the city of Kish, due to Sargon often referring to himself as the “Son of Kish,” while others think that it was at the confluence of the Tigris and Diyala rivers. <ref> Kuhrt, p. 44</ref>
The manner in which Sargon came to rule over most of Mesopotamia was quite simple – he did it through warfare and by eliminating his most powerful rival. Sometime while Sargon was apparently the King of Kish and Akkad, Lugalzagesi was the king of the powerful city of Uruk. Uruk had a long and illustrious history dating back to the Sumerians and the late fourth millennium BC and was still quite powerful in Sargon’s time. Lugalzagesi unified most of Mesopotamia under his rule, so when Sargon overthrew him he had a ready made empire in his hands. <ref> Kuhrt, pgs. 45-46</ref> A cuneiform historical text dated to the end of the Akkadian Dynasty describes how Sargon sieged Uruk and then took Lugalzagesi captive.
“Sargon, king of Agade, overseer of Ishtar, king of Kish, anointed priest of Anu, king of the country, great ensi of Enlil; he defeated Uruk and tore down its wall; in the battle with the inhabitants of Uruk he was victorious. Lugalzaggisi, king of Uruk, he captured in (this) battle, he brought him in a (dog) collar to the gate of Enlil. Sargon, king of Agade, was victorious in the battle with the inhabitants of Ur, the(ir) town he defeated and tore down its wall.” <ref> Pritchard, p. 267</ref>
