peoples
of Chaldaea, with Susiana and even more distant nations. When Agade rose
into power in Northern Babylonia, they fell under its rule, and one of
them, Lugal-ushum-gal, acknowledged himself a dependant of Sargon. On
the decline of Agade, and when that city was superseded by Uru in the
hegemony of Babylonia proper, the vicegerents of Lagash were transferred
with the other great towns to the jurisdiction of Uru, and flourished
under the supremacy of the new dynasty.

Grudea, son of Urbau, who, if not the most powerful of its princes,
is at least the sovereign of whom we possess the greatest number of
monuments, captured the town of Anshan in Elam, and this is probably not
the only campaign in which he took part, for he speaks of his success
in an incidental manner, and as if he were in a hurry to pass to more
interesting subjects.

[Illustration: 108.jpg THE SACRIFICE]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a stone in the Louvre.

That which seemed to him important in his reign, and which especially
called forth the recognition of posterity, was the number of his pious
foundations, distinguished as they were by beauty and magnificence. The
gods themselves had inspired him in his devout undertakings, and had
even revealed to him the plans which he was to carry out. An old man of
venerable aspect appeared to him in a vision, and commanded him to build
a temple: as he did not know with whom he had to do, Nina his mother
informed him that it was his brother, the god Ningirsu. This having been
made clear, a young woman furnished with style and writing tablet was
presented to him--Nisaba, the sister of Nina; she made a drawing in his
presence, and put before him the complete model of a building. He set
to work on it _con amore_, and sent for materials to the most distant
countries--to Magan, Amanus, the Lebanon, and into the mountains which
separate the valley of the Upper Tigris from that of the Euphrates.

[Illustration: 109.jpg SITTING STATUE OF GUDEA]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin

The sanctuaries which he decorated, and of which he felt so proud, are
to-day mere heaps of bricks, now returned to their original clay; but
many of the objects which he placed in them, and especially the statues,
have traversed the centuries without serious damage before finding a
resting-place in the Louvre. The sculptors of Lagash, after the time of
Idingi-ranagin, had been instructed in a good school, and had learned
their business.