Short Answer with a small dbq question--Just Review

War in the Ancient Middle East

Military campaigns were conducted frequently in the ancient Middle East. Scribes and artists often recorded their leaders’ victories on monuments. The following documents reveal that these early wars were both devastating and widespread.

Document A

“. . . [My troops] were like lions roaring upon the mountaintops. The chariotry consisted of runners, of picked men, of every good and capable chariot-warrior. The horses were quivering in every part of their bodies, prepared to crush the foreign countries under their hoofs. . . . Those who reached my frontier, . . . their heart and their soul are finished forever and ever. Those who came forward together on the sea, the full flame was in front of them at the river-mouths, while a stockade of lances surrounded them on the shore. . . . I have made the lands turn back from (even) mentioning Egypt; for when they pronounce my name in their land, then they are burned up.”

—From Pharaoh Ramses III of Egypt

Document B

“In the eighteenth year of my rule I crossed the Euphrates for the sixteenth time. [King] Hazael of Damascus put his trust upon his numerous army and called up his troops in great number. . . . I fought with him and inflicted a defeat upon him, killing with the sword 16,000 of his experienced soldiers. I took away from him 1,121 chariots, 470 riding horses as well as his camp. . . . I followed him and besieged him in Damascus, his royal residence. I cut down his gardens. . . . I marched as far as the mountains of Hauran, destroying, tearing down and burning innumerable towns, carrying booty away from them which was beyond counting. I marched as far as the mountains of Ba’li-ra’si . . . and erected there a stela [stone pillar] with my image as king.”

—From King Shalmaneser III of Assyria

Document C

Soldiers of Ramses III in Battle

Document D

Soldiers of Shalmaneser III in Battle

Analyzing Documents

Use your knowledge of ancient warfare and Documents A, B, C, and D to answer questions 1–4.

1. Documents A and B are told from the point of view of

1. a victim of an ambush.
2. the ally of a conquering ruler.
3. the enemy of a conquering ruler.
4. the leader of a successful campaign.

2. What did the narrator of Document B do in the mountains of Ba’li-ra’si after he conquered the king of Damascus?

1. conquer a great city
2. set up a monument showing his image
3. chase the enemies’ leader
4. receive tribute from the conquered people

3. Which can you learn from Documents C and D?

1. who won each battle shown
2. how many men fought in each battle
3. where each battle took place
4. what weapons the soldiers used in battle

Writing Task

4. Consider that inscriptions and artwork were two different means for rulers to tell their people about their conquests. What motives would have led the rulers to have such documents created? Do you think such documents serve as reliable records of historical events? Use your knowledge and specific information from these documents to support your opinion.