Sargon of Akkad, also known as Sargon the Great "The Great King" (Akkadian Šarru-kīnu, meaning "the true king" or "the king is legitimate"), is an Akkadian emperor famous for his conquest of the Sumerian city-states in the 23rd and 22nd centuries BCE.

The founder of the Dynasty of Akkad, Sargon reigns from 2270 to 2215 BCE (short chronology).

He becomes a prominent member of the royal court of Kish, killing the king and usurping his throne before embarking on the quest to conquer Mesopotamia.

He was originally referred to as Sargon I until records concerning an Assyrian king also named Sargon (now usually referred to as Sargon I) were unearthed.

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 the Sumerian king list claims he built (or possibly renovated), on the left bank of the Euphrates He is sometimes regarded as the first person in recorded history to create a multiethnic, centrally ruled empire, although the Sumerians Lugal-anne-mundu and Lugal-zage-si also have a claim.

His dynasty controlled Mesopotamia for around a century and a half.