nd agriculturists obtained relief from taxation at the
expense of their material security.

Urukagina's motives were undoubtedly above reproach, and he showed an
example to all who occupied positions of trust by living an upright
life and denying himself luxuries. He was disinterestedly pious, and
built and restored temples, and acted as the steward of his god with
desire to promote the welfare and comfort of all true worshippers. His
laws were similar to those which over two centuries afterwards were
codified by Hammurabi, and like that monarch he was professedly the
guardian of the weak and the helper of the needy; he sought to
establish justice and liberty in the kingdom. But his social Arcadia
vanished like a dream because he failed to recognize that Right must
be supported by Might.

In bringing about his sudden social revolution, Urukagina had at the
same time unwittingly let loose the forces of disorder. Discontented
and unemployed officials, and many representatives of the despoiled
leisured and military classes of Lagash, no doubt sought refuge
elsewhere, and fostered the spirit of revolt which ever smouldered in
subject states. At any rate, Umma, remembering the oppressions of
other days, was not slow to recognize that the iron hand of Lagash had
become unnerved. The zealous and iconoclastic reformer had reigned but
seven years when he was called upon to defend his people against the
invader. He appears to have been utterly unprepared to do so. The
victorious forces of Umma swept against the stately city of Lagash and
shattered its power in a single day. Echoes of the great disaster
which ensued rise from a pious tablet inscription left by a priest,
who was convinced that the conquerors would be called to account for
the sins they had committed against the great god Nin-Girsu. He
lamented the butchery and robbery which had taken place. We gather
from his composition that blood was shed by the raiders of Umma even
in the sacred precincts of temples, that statues were shattered, that
silver and precious stones were carried away, that granaries were
plundered and standing crops destroyed, and that many buildings were
set on fire. Amidst these horrors of savagery and vengeance, the now
tragic figure of the great reformer suddenly vanishes from before our
eyes. Perhaps he perished in a burning temple; perhaps he found a
nameless grave with the thousands of his subjects whose bodies had
lain scattered about the bl