What was important for military success?
Complete the assignment using the PDF document (shared with you on Google Drive). You will post your answer/s in the comment box. I highly recommend that you draft your answer in a google document and then copy and paste your answer into the comment box.
Forum #1 “The Assyrian Military Machine”
Read and Contextualize: The Assyrian Empire - What was important for military success? - CHQ
Read Document: “The Assyrian Military Machine”
Answer Questions: Based on their own descriptions, what did Assyrian kings believe was important for military success? Do you think their account may be exaggerated? Why?
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In the passage, the Assyrian kings believed that chariots were important because they were driven by a soldier with a spear while another protected him from behind with a bow and arrow. This was part of their tactics because men on foot could not have such an impact. For example, their battle chariots roamed through the cities,killed the Elamites, and left the corpses. In addition, having a fearless leader was important because they were the ones who led their army into enemy boundaries and annihilated cities.
ReplyDeleteI think their accounts may be exaggerated because King Ashurbanipal said “I tore out the tongues of those whose slanderous mouths had uttered blasphemies against my god Ashur and had plotted against me.” He also said that he fed their corpse to dogs, pigs, and birds. He most likely said those things to make himself sound more powerful than he already was or exaggerated his successes so no one would attack him and his army.
I disagree with what you said about how they exaggerated the pulling of tongues of his enemies. Mainly because Mrs. Giles used that as an example of something that they might have exaggerated but then she restated that they probably did do that to their enemies back then. I believed that when the ruler King Sennacherib stated “I drove out of them 200,150 people...” was exaggerated because the number is incredible high but the gory, bloody ruthlessness of the Assyrian military is completely believable to me. Was there anything else that you found exaggerated besides that?
DeleteI agree that the kings over exaggerated about how they killed the conquered. Although their tactics were probably vicious I doubt such killings and torture was carried out in such a gallant manor or done for the pleasing of their god.
DeleteI agree on how they valued the two wheeled chariot but I don't think that the one wielded a spear and the other wielded a bow and arrow.Also I think that at least one person had wielded a shield on the chariot because without it how would they be able to defend themselves from incoming attacks directed at them.I agree on the accounts that he just exaggerated to protect himself and his army or probably just wanted to make himself powerful.
DeleteI agree with what you said about having a fearless leader. That was an excellent point and definitely helped make for a great military. A fearless leader makes his soldiers charge into battle with confidence. The leader makes the call and if you don't have a confident leader then how can you be sure you will win the battle.
DeleteI agree with your statement but I think you should have added something about what you think the kings believed was key for military success.
DeleteAssyrian kings believe that in order to have military success, you needed a variety of different things. One of them is government, a hierarchy so that the kings could be on top and control everything, from the citizens, to the military itself. This allowed for a ruthless rule, which played a huge role in military success. The king, and the military, could not show any sign of weakness at all so he had to be ruthless and show no mercy to his people or enemies. Many of the rulers described the scenes of battle to be extremely gory and full of bloodshed. One example would be “I tore out the tongues of those whose slanderous mouths had uttered blasphemies against my god Ashur and had plotted against me, his god-fearing prince; I defeated them completely,” which was spoken by King Ashurbanipal describing the treatment of Babylon after it was conquered. The military of the Assyrian Empire was very organized. The huge number of troops varieting from infantry, to cavalry, to archers, and chariots were the first to be completely equipped with iron weapon which gave them a big advantage over their enemies (doc 1, a, b, c, d, e, g, h, i, j) .
ReplyDeleteI think the accounts of the rulers were very over exaggerated because they wanted to feel like they were the best. In all the accounts it was never mentioned how some of the Assyrian soldiers were killed in battle, only how the enemies will killed. The numbers were very exaggerated and hard to believe such as “I drove out of them 200,150 people...” Other than that, everything else is pretty believable (doc 1, a, c, h, g).
I agree that the accounts were exaggerated. The Kings wanted to build themselves up and their army. In the Assyrian military machine article it mentions that people would surrender from the sheer thought of the Assyrian army because of the name they had made for themselves.
DeleteI do think that the government was important, but I don't think that the Assyrians relied on it, they mostly relied on their armies and toughness. I agree that the accounts were exaggerated because the heat of battle may have blurred their memories. They also needed to make themselves sound better than they actually were, in order to keep the high rank that they have attained.
DeleteI believed that the government was important to organize everything,but as far as the military when I don't think they relied on it that much.But what they relied on the most was their military strength and brutality against their enemies.
DeleteI agree on how King Sennacherib's account said that "I drove out of them 200,150 people.."but I believed there would be one more that he exaggerated in his accounts like this one "I cut their throat like sheep."
I agree with you when you say that a hierarchy created control over resources. With a hierarchy, there is only one person enforcing decisions and controlling resources. Yet, with a normal government and no king there would be fights on which decision is better, creating conflict in the empire. with a hierarchy there would be no decision conflicts.
DeleteSydney Smyer
DeleteI agree that the numbers may have been exaggerated, and the suffering the Assyrians caused was true because when they were overthrown, the Chaldeans and Medes were, indeed, vengeful. So, I am sure they did not take what the Assyrians did lightly. On another note, the Assyrians wanted to prove their destiny for assertion into power (I do not think they were just all talk). I think Jake did a splendid job of explaining the terror they spoke of and carried out.
By Assyrian standards, the only way to have a successful military force was through organization and brutality. The Assyrians most valued tool of destruction was the two wheeled chariot. A man with a spear or bow and arrow stood upon it while another man held only a shield to cover for the man behind him. These chariots were pulled by horses making them one of the most valuable of animals. When conquering new territory the Assyrians would make sure not to injure the horses and would take them for their own force. A ruthless leader was key in such an unstoppable army. If a city has a hard wall or barrier to protect it the Assyrians used a battering ram to break the main doors or would dig their way under. If the barrier was truly impenetrable the Assyrians would cut off all of their rivals supplies and make them starve into submission.
ReplyDeleteIn the kings passages describing their conquests I believe King Sennacherib exaggerates his own brutality and feats. He claims to have "...cut their throats like sheep...." King Asherbanipal brags that he "Tore out the tongues of those whose slanderous mouths had uttered blasphemies against my god Ashur and had plotted against me..." Although the Assyrians were vicious, I doubt such torture was as graceful and routine as being used against every blasphemous person. I also don't think such actions were done to please Ashur.
I agree that the Assyrians did value the two wheeled chariot, and that they also did use organized brutality. And again I agree that the torture that the Assyrians put on the people wasn't necessary and that it wouldn't please their god.
DeleteI believe that starving the victims should have sent a message to the people. the message obviously was not received and so the Assyrians would continue to punish the citizens until they got exactly what they wanted, when they wanted it, and how they wanted it. Nothing was ever fair to anyone under the Assyrians because they either experienced death or harsh punishment whether they liked it or not.
Deletei agree the king was very brutal and like cory said , they valued the two wheeled chariot . i also agree that he was exaggerating the way he "cut their throats " , it is very unlikley .
DeleteSydney Smyer
DeleteI agree that much of the weaponry and tactics sprung from the organized brutality that the Assyrians believed was necessary. I also agree that many of their actions may not have been carried out to honor their god Ashur. Much of the statements by the rulers included figurative language, however the events could still have taken place. I think to make an well developed guess would be to study what those they conquered said about the Assyrians and a better idea can be made, but I like that your opinion was based on logic.
The Assyrian kings believed what was necessary for military success was brute strength, discipline and toughness. The Assyrian soldiers were extremely cruel to the people that rebelled or went against them. The king Ashurbanipal states, "I tore out the tongues of those who's slanderous mouths muttered blasphemies against my god Ashur, and had plotted against me, his god fearing prince; I defeated them completely." This proves that they didn't think that being less cruel would work out, so they used extreme discipline to keep the people in line.
ReplyDeleteI think that their accounts can be exaggerated because the Assyrians liked to brag about their empires toughness. They were probably exaggerating it to make themselves sound better than they actually were. They were indeed a very strong force to be reckoned with, but the kings here are definitely exaggerating themselves. The heat of battle also probably blurred their memory of what did happen.
I agree that using harsh force against rebelling citizens probably shouldn't of happened to the extreme that they took it. The Assyrians found it entertaining to do the cruel things they would do to people. If one person saw another person get murdered for doing something wrong, then why exactly would they try to do something wrong knowing that they would be killed for it?
DeleteI agree with what you said about how they exaggerated about how tough and strong they were. I would like to add that never mention any weaknesses at all, just how ruthless and merciless they were towards their enemies. Some of the weaknesses they had included that some of their troops died in battle and their ego was pretty high. I really like how you said the heat of the battle blurred their memory of what had actually happened, I would have never thought of that.
DeleteI agree with you completely. They were so fixated on these harsh punishments. I also like the point you made about how they brag about the toughness through their empire. We are definitely on the same page!
DeleteI agree with what they believed was important for military success, however I disagree to an extent on them exaggerating. I think they did exaggerate a little, but at the same time I think they were really vicious, and did do the crazy things they explained.
DeleteThe Assyrian standard was that the only way to have military success was through organization and the king’s ruthlessness.The tool that the Assyrians valued most was the two-wheeled chariot.These chariots was operated by two people, one wielded a bow or a spear and the other wielded a shield.As for the mobility of the chariot they were pulled by two horses making them a the first priority than the other animals.When conquering a new territory the Assyrian's made sure not to kill or injure the horses because they would take them in to add for there military success.The only way this would be a success was having a strong and ruthless leader to lead them and this played a very important part.Another tool the Assyrians used to conquer was a ram to destroy the walls/barrier.These battering ram was designed so that it could hit the weak point of the wall and make it crumble.Of course there were weaknesses which was fire arrows but the Assyrian's countered it by protected it by using leather.
ReplyDeleteIn King Sennacherib’s passage, I believed that he exaggerated his accomplishments and ruthlessness.He said so himself “I cut their throat like sheep” and other was “I drove them out of 200,150 people.”Although he said this I doubted that he was able to drive out that much of a people and also cut each persons throat one by one like animals.Also in King Ashurbanipal's passage I believed that he exaggerated in this quote “I fed their corpse,cut into small pieces to dogs,pigs….vultures.” I think that it would be hard to cut every persons limbs into small pieces one by one.
I disagree, because if the accounts are exaggerated no one would have followed him. the soldiers needed to know they were up to the challenge, they may have tortured some people to assert their role and send messages to those traitors around them.
DeleteI agree with Paul, many of the accounts seem to be exaggerated. Driving out over 200,000 people would be a difficult task. However they probably have some sort of truth behind them, such as feeding the corpses to the animals, but not on such a large scale.
DeleteI agree with Paul, because although he did need to be exaggerated like Justin said, he also could've used different tactics to get so many followers. I believe that the kings ideas were just too hasty and unmoral to my standards.
DeleteThe assyrian kings believed what was necessary for military success were control and military tactics. They replaced government with hierarchy which gave kings control over resources of the empire. The military tactics were savage. They used tactics such as guerrilla warfare, terror tactics, and siege warfare. Their famous siege was a tall moving tower that rammed a cities wall while people dug under the walls to collapse it. Their terror tactics caused people to fear them, which made enemies scared to fight them. They used terror tactics such as plundering cities and destroying dams while looting the cities. Another terror tactic was the way they killed and tortured captives which leads me to say that their accounts of what happened were extremely exaggerated. They say that they killed their captives in harsh, unethical ways yet also state that they “drove 200,150 people out and considered them booty”. If they killed so many people, then why did he drive out so many. Therefore, I believe that they exaggerated most of their accounts.
ReplyDelete(doc1 a-g)
I disagree with what you said because they did use those tactics to gain control of each other cities. They killed enemies to show dominance and power. You could have said it was exaggerated on how they train their soldiers to kill people the way they did.
DeleteI disagree with how they explained it being extremely exaggerated. I do think they exaggerated a little, but I think for the most part, it really did happen. I think if they were going to extremely exaggerate the number of people they drove off , would have been in the millions, not thousands.
DeleteI disagree with you because i don't think the kings gave them anything to fear until they actually killed them and made them suffer. They didn't know what was coming until it actually happened. Then that is when people began to fear them.
DeleteThe Assyrians were able to use many types of successful warfare tactics such as Guerilla warfare, fighting battles, or dominating the victims city. Lord Ashur said ... “I put them to rout and turned them back. I transfixed the troops of enemies with javelins and arrows.” “I then cut their throats like sheep”. Assyrians developed effective military leaders and fighters. As an example of how Assyrians dominated people, Shalmaneser the third led an army of over 125,000 men of all sorts. The organization and discipline were the most important reasons why they were so “powerful”. This army was very extreme and harsh on anyone, it could be a neighboring country. One day they could be really good allies and the next they are fighting each other. Another warfare tactic that comes in handy is “climate terror”. It creates a sense of terror in the enemy. Most of the Assyrian leaders would describe a battle as “gory” or “bloody”. There was no mercy given.
ReplyDeleteI think that the Assyrians should not have gone to the extent that they did with all their enemies. They would kill anyone whether it be girl, boy, little kid, mom, dad they didn't care. As one Assyrian leader describes it, I tore out the tongues of those whose slanderous mouths had uttered blasphemies against my god Ashur and had plotted against me.” Some of the punishments that occurred may be a little exaggerated and overboard but the Assyrians ruled everyone.
I agree with most of what you're saying, But the use of military chariots was extremely important in their conquest of territories.
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ReplyDeleteThis message is for Parker.
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ReplyDeleteThe assyrian king , was very harsh . They had two wheeled chariots that was there way of transporation . the king believed military success was key . i do believe he exagerrated his ruling , and the way he did things .
ReplyDeleteI disagree, because I believe that if they exaggerate their accounts they would have no lead or following nobody would fear them and the leaders of the world would mock them
DeleteI agree with how the Assyrian kings believed that military success was key and that their accounts were exaggerated. I do disagree, though, with how you said he exaggerated his ruling though mostly because I don't quiet understand how you can exaggerate your ruling.
DeleteI believe the Assyrians kings all believed in using fear to control their empires. They used fear to get their subjects to listen to them. I think that some of these accounts are exaggerated, he may have done some of the things he did to simply put fear into his subjects,and later use that fear to control everyone, only setting a few examples and not really killing a lot of people (Doc 1I).
ReplyDeleteThe Assyrians had a military that was more advanced than their enemies. They were superior to all others, and their chariots and they used them very efficiently.However despite their brutality, many of their stories are probably exaggerated. This was probably to instill fear in any who opposed them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statements. The assyrians were dominant in their military forces. They were more organized and more well trained compared to all of their enemies. They were well trained in using the weapons they had. I agree with your other statement, that the kings probably exaggerated the stories just to put a bit of fear into those who thought of rebelling. The Assyrian army was well ahead technologically in comparison to the other military forces that tried to fight them.
Deletei do agree with your passage. they were more advanced because they did everything to be looked at like the best so they became the best. i believe that they used their chariots efficiently because it would take up their time by walking rather than using their horses. i also agree with their stories being exaggerated because they wanted people to fear them and also for people to look at them like they were gods.
DeleteThe Assyrian kings believed that, in order to have military success, you needed a diversity of different things. To begin with, the king had absolute power within the government, of everything from the people to the military, this grasp would set the foundation for the ruthlessness that followed for military success. Once this was established, the king could show no weakness, military tactics such as, guerrilla warfare, hand-to-hand combat, and laying siege to cities backed the reputation they created for themselves. Many of the rulers described the battle scenes as gory, terror-filled, and full of bloodshed. One example would be, “ I fed their corpses, cut into small pieces, to dogs, pigs, ...vultures, the birds of the the sky and also to the fish of the ocean”, which was spoken by King Ashurbinapal, recounting the details of Babylon after it was conquered. The military of the Assyrian empire was well-disciplined and organized. Effective leaders and fighters were chosen, the number of troops was great, and their chariots were the first to be equipped with iron weapons, a huge advantage during war (doc. 1, a, b, c, d, e, f, g).
ReplyDeleteI do believe the accounts of the rulers is very exaggerated because they were arrogant and wanted their people, those they conquered, and neighboring cities to think they were the best. They only told the battle from one side, never mentioning the casualties and obstacles they faced. I believe the numbers are hard to believe as stated, “ I drove out of them 200,150 people…”. Other than that I think everything else holds true considering their brute force, widespread dislike, and use of terror as an instrument of warfare (doc. 1, f).
The Assyrian kings believed that chariots and horsemen were important because they protected soldiers,killed enemies,and moved quickly.They had created a way to kill enemies faster than any soldiers before,so they were feared. The Assyrian kings didn't care about the people they were protecting they just wanted to be feared and have the most land and thats what they got.They had military success because they had better organization and better weapons.
ReplyDeleteI think their accounts are exaggerated because king Sennacherib said “They embraced my Feet”. people may have bowed to him but they weren't embracing his feet.
I agree and disagree to this. I agree with the chariots being important, however I also disagree with the reasons behind it. Yes the chariots were to protect the soldiers as well as giving them that "stepping stool" to attack the enemy. They had the chariot to display victory in what they did. Meaning, if they killed someone, they wanted their chariot covered in there blood in filth. But I do see your point.
DeleteI agree because they used chariots and that was important to them because they got around much quicker and it gave them an advantage. They also used better weapons, they were more advanced. But i think the kings did care about who they were protecting. They just didn't care abut who they were taking over.
DeleteThe Assyrian kings believed in many different things when it came to military success. For example, they were very prominent on vulgar deaths (Doc 1i, F). They would "... Cut their throats like sheep..." As well as "...tear out the tongues of those whose slanderous...". Needless to say, they also we fixated on proof of the death and or conquer (Doc 1i, G). Not only did they believe the grounds were a good representation of winning, but also to have their chariots covered in the "blood and filth" of the defeated. Another thing the kings demonstrated was pride. An example of this pride is "my onslaught overwhelmed them like a demon". The kings in my opinion exaggerated a lot. The way they explained the scenes, show they needed to talk it up. When I say talk it up, I mean they can't simply tell the story. They need to persuade you into seeing the battle their way, and no one elses.
ReplyDeleteThe Assyrian kings believed that using complete force and to not go easy whatsoever was important to military success. For example: "I cut there throats like sheep". By saying this, it shows that he did not hold back whatsoever, and sliced their throats with no problem. Also when they said " I drove out of them 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, big and small cattle beyond counting, and considering them booty." This implies that they were going after everything, not even just the people. They wanted everything, and everyone to suffer. After they killed everything and everyone, they considered it as they won. I do think some of how they describe it is exaggerated, like "I fed their corpses, cut into small pieces, to dogs, pigs,...vultures,the birds of the sky and also to the fish of the ocean." however, I believe they were very fierce and vicious, so some of what they describe may sound exaggerated to us, but in reality that is what happened.
ReplyDeleteThe Assyrian Kings thought that chariots, weapons, and going all out in was was important in military success. King Sennacherib explains how he supplied his army with Javelins and arrows. He also states that he "Cut their throat like sheep." That explains they didn't hold back anything. He describes how his battle chariot was bespattered with blood which might be an over exaggeration, to get his point across. King Ashurbanipal said that he "tore the tongues out of those whose slanderous mouths uttered blasphemies against god Ashur and had plotted against me." That implies how serious he was about war and he didn't hold anything back.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with you. The kings did not want to show any uncertainty with the decision making on how they commanded their army. King Ashurbanipal defeated the babylonians completely. not leaving any survivors. he “fed their corpses to the dogs, pigs , vultures , birds of the sky and also the fish of the ocean”. I also agree with your statement about the chariots and weapons , if they had the advantage on their enemies then they wanted to go all out and use them as they pleased.
DeleteI agree, the Assyrian Kings used any type of exaggerated "threats" towards other empires to "get their point across." I like how you included that they didn't want to show any "uncertainty" with their command towards their army.
DeleteIt is clear that these Assyrians are serious about conquest. The kings think that total destruction of the opposing culture is the way to go. Ashurbanipal's testimony said that he tore out blasphemous tongues and "The others I smashed alive with the very same statues of protective deities with which they had smashed my own grandfather Sennacherib..." Of course, it is possible that it was exaggerated, As Sennacherib's second testimony stated, "I drove out... 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels... beyond counting..." If you pay attention to this, it implies exaggeration.
ReplyDeleteThe Assyrian kings believed that by inflicting pure terror to the people they were attacking it would make conquering much easier. By terrorizing the enemies they put fear in their minds, making them less susceptible to rebellions. These accounts from the kings do seem to be exaggerated in my opinion. “I tore out tongues of those whose slanderous mouths had uttered blasphemies against my god Ashur” said King Ashurbanipal. I think they included these crazy accounts just to glorify their offensive brutality toward their enemies. They overexaggerated to make a good story, great, and to show that they kneeled to noone.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the Assyrian kings had success. They knew that your military defined you . they were very cruel but also proud of the work / wars that were caused . they believed the two wheeled chariots helped . for example ; the God Ashur states "I cut their throats like sheep ." and later include how the wheeled chariots helped them win their wars . King ashurbonipol states "I fed their corpes and cut into small pieces to dogs, pigs, ... Vultures , the birds in the sky and also the fish in the sea " . this shows us how not only were they proud , they didn't care where you went after your death . you were dead . I do not think any of these accounts were exxagerated I really do believe they wanted war . they sought out military success .
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ReplyDeleteI believe the Assyrian Kings were very demanding and showed it with their threats. The kings were fearless leaders and didn't show any concern of what happened to their victims. The kings had full control of their armies and wanted to prove that. They would proudly say "I cut their throats like sheep." They would somewhat over exaggerate the deaths they had committed. They wanted to show how they worked as an army so other armies wouldn't want to fight them. I think it was a smart tactic, but it was really unmoral. The kings also said "I fed their corpse and cut into small pieces to dogs, pigs, ... vultures, the birds in the sky and also the fish in the sea." They continued being ruthless to protect other kings from the Assyrians “I tore out tongues of those whose slanderous mouths had uttered blasphemies against my god Ashur." It proves that they are strong leaders and the army does stick together(Doc. 1).
ReplyDeleteI agree that the kings did very much over exaggerate the deaths that they had committed. They wanted people to fear them and think of them as the most powerful rulers. They wanted people to look up to them like they were gods. I also do agree that they were great leaders they lead their army into war and did what they attended to do as kings. The Assyrians military were very violent but they had reasoning for their destruction's'.
DeleteI agree with what you said on how the Assyrian kings would exaggerate their accounts. I also liked how you said how they would exaggerate to show how well they worked as an army. I hadn't thought of something like that.
DeleteI completely agree with everything you said here, especially about how the Assyrian kings were demanding and fearless leaders. I also think you're right about the fact that the Assyrians over exaggerated the deaths they committed, purely to make other's fear them that much more (as if they really needed that).
DeleteI think that there were many things that the assyrians believed were important for military success. Based on their own descriptions Assyrian kings believed being cruel, merciless, brutal, and surprisingly organization were things that Assyrian kings thought was important for military success. they believed that by doing this things they could be the most powerful rulers and it would show on to their success. Some of the things might have been exaggerated to show people that they seemed to be more powerful and more brutal. The kings said that they destroyed over 40 cities and killed tons of people. They just probably wanted people to fear them so they would look up to them and think they are very powerful. the assyrians kings just liked to brag a lot on just how powerful they really were.
ReplyDeleteI agree that what was said about the kings could've been exaggerated just because I can't even fathom how someone could be so brutal. I also liked how you said that the kings liked to brag about how powerful they were because that's exactly what they did and they got away with it because all the other militaries were too scared to do anything.
DeleteAssyrian kings believed that being quick, having no regrets, and having strong cities were important for military success. After reading each king's account, I think it may have been exaggerated. The reason being because the kings must have thought that if they didn't exaggerate their accounts then nearby cities would probably assume they were very weak and attack them. To avoid that, they would make everything sound more brutal and gruesome than it really was.
ReplyDeleteBased on their own descriptions, the Assyrian kings believed being that cruelty, brutality, and being all around merciless were the most important characteristics of a soldier for military success. In the article “The Assyrian Military Machine,” the author mentioned that the Assyrian king “tore out the tongues of those whose slanderous mouths had uttered blasphemies against my god Ashur,” which just goes to show that the Assyrian king was an intense and very dedicated man who expected his military to act as such.
ReplyDeleteI do think that these events stated are extremely exaggerated because it glorified what the kings did and made everyone fear them. Even though these rulers were brutal and didn’t think much of weak life, I don’t think the things that has been said about the kings of Assyria, such as King Ashurnasirpal cutting off body parts of captives or King Sennacherib destroying 89 cities, were completely factual. However, what seems too brutal to us now may have been the norm back then, so we don’t really know how any of these events actually went down. The truth gets twisted and morphed as it’s passed down from person to person until it's been turned into a completely different story, so that should also be considered.