Sargon of Akkad was a Semitic Akkadian emperor famous for his conquest of the Sumerian city-states in the 23rd and 22nd centuries BC. The founder of the Dynasty of Akkad, Sargon reigned during the last quarter of the third millennium BC. He became a prominent member of the royal court of Kish, killing the king and usurping his throne before embarking on the quest to conquer Mesopotamia. Sargon was a brilliant general and controlled the Mesopotamian territories by way of his vast army. He created a superior presence by continually travelling from city-state to city-state with his army in tow.