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Sargon of Akkad, also known as Sargon the Great (Akkadian Šarukinu, "the true king"),[1] was an Akkadian king famous for his conquest of the Sumerian city-states in the 24th and 23rd centuries BC. The founder of the Dynasty of Akkad, Sargon reigned for 56 years[2], c. 2334 BC-2279 BC, short chronology). Although he was probably of humble birth, he became a prominent member of the royal court of Kish, ultimately overthrowing its king before embarking on the conquest of Mesopotamia. Sargon's vast empire is known to have extended from Elam to the Mediterranean sea, including Mesopotamia, parts of modern-day Iran and Syria, and possibly parts of Anatolia and the Arabian peninsula. He ruled from a new capital, Akkad (Agade), which he built on the left bank of the Euphrates.[3] Sargon is regarded as one of the first individuals in recorded history to create a multiethnic, centrally ruled empire, and his dynasty ruled Mesopotamia for around a century.[4]