NEJS 202b · Brandeis University · Spring 2016
The Akkadian historical epic represents one of the earliest literary forms in Mesopotamia. These texts present a unique view of how the scribal cultures of Mesopotamia embellished and celebrated the tales of their illustrious and even legendary kings. We will read texts of this genre written in a number of Akkadian dialects from the Old Assyrian to the Neo-Assyrian period.
Students are expected to have completed introductory Akkadian; they should also have a grasp of scholarly French and German since some resources for the class will be in those languages.