As you discovered in the Windows On (Assyrian Militarism: Like a Wolf on the Fold) box on page 45, war, and warlike activities, played a central role in the lives of ancient kings. It is not too much to say that, for many societies, to be a king was to be a warrior. To lead a people was to lead them in battle. Assess the evidence of ancient militarism described below and then respond to the essay question that follows. Read the Babylonian, Egyptian, Persian, and Hebrew statements on the qualities of a king on page 33. What was the relationship between a king and his people? What made him different from other men and women? Read the accounts of war and conquest in Sumer, Canaan, and Assyria on page 34, and then examine the images on the Palette of Narmer on page 37. What status did conquered people have? What could defeated cities and armies expect at the hands of their conquerors? Read the Egyptian and Greek descriptions of peace on page 42. Can you reconcile these statements with the other evidence you've reviewed so far? Review the images of Assyrian militarism on page 45. Were the attitudes and actions of the Assyrians with respect to war significantly different from those of their contemporaries? Was there reputation for ferocity and brutality deserved? Take a close look at a Shang Dynasty Chariot. What techniques and materials went into its construction? What skills would its users possess? What light does the chariot shed on the values and priorities of Shang elites? [Shang pictograph (1200-1100 BC) used to indicate any wheeled vehicle.] Study the map of Iron Age Empires on page 43. How did the advent of iron-smelting technology contribute to the growth of ancient empires? How stable were the Iron Age Empires? Examine the diagrams of the battles of Kadesh and Marathon on page 52. What role did technology and innovation play in each battle? When you have finished reviewing the evidence, write a well-organized essay on militarism in the ancient world. During this period, could one be considered a great king without engaging in war and conquest? Use the evidence you have just examined to support your claims and observations.