[3] It is thought to have been committed to writing during the first half of the second millennium, perhaps following a lengthy oral tradition, although the circumstances of its composition are hotly debated.
[4] Responding to the grievances of his merchants, Sargon declares his intention to his reluctant warriors to forge a campaign into Anatolia to conquer its principal town Purušḫanda, whose tyrannical ruler has been oppressing the expatriate Akkadian tradesmen.
He rallies them with promises of victory based on his consultation with the goddess Ištar in her temple during which he falls into a deep sleep to receive her prophecy.
They struggle through mountain passes strewn with impenetrable thickets and great boulders of lapis lazuli.
A lengthy time later, some variants: 3 years, Sargon prepares to depart Purušḫanda and return to Akkad.