Other kings and vicegerents of doubtful sequence were followed lastly by Urbau and his son Gudea.  These were all piously devoted to Ningirsu in general, and in particular to the patron of their choice from among the divinities of the country—­Papsukal, Dunziranna, and Ninagal.  They restored and enriched the temples of these gods:  they dedicated to them statues or oblation vases for the welfare of themselves and their families.  It would seem, if we are to trust the accounts which they give of themselves, that their lives were passed in profound peace, without other care than that of fulfilling their duties to heaven and its ministers.  Their actual condition, if we could examine it, would doubtless appear less agreeable and especially less equable; revolutions in the palace would not be wanting, nor struggles with the other 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  On the decline of Agade, and when that city was superseded by Uru in the hegemony of Babylonia proper, the vicegerents of Lagash were transferred with the other great towns to the jurisdiction of Uru, and flourished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