Sourcing a Document “The Carthaginians are a hard and gloomy people, submissive to their rulers, and harsh to their subjects, running to extremes of cowardice in times of fear and of cruelty in times of anger; they keep obstinately to their decisions, are austere, and care little for amusement or the graces of life.” Source: Plutarch, 100 CE Identify: Author Bias, Context, Audience, and Intent
What’s the point in sourcing a document? To determine the reliability of a document
Author bias: Plutarch is Greek; Greeks are anti-Carthage; fought ancient wars with them “The Carthaginians are a hard and gloomy people, submissive to their rulers, and harsh to their subjects, running to extremes of cowardice in times of fear and of cruelty in times of anger; they keep obstinately to their decisions, are austere, and care little for amusement or the graces of life.” Source: Plutarch, 100 CE
“The Carthaginians are a hard and gloomy people, submissive to their rulers, and harsh to their subjects, running to extremes of cowardice in times of fear and of cruelty in times of anger; they keep obstinately to their decisions, are austere, and care little for amusement or the graces of life.” Source: Plutarch, 100 CE Audience: Greek and Roman readers of histories
Context: Plutarch wrote long after the existence of Carthage - possibly not reliable “The Carthaginians are a hard and gloomy people, submissive to their rulers, and harsh to their subjects, running to extremes of cowardice in times of fear and of cruelty in times of anger; they keep obstinately to their decisions, are austere, and care little for amusement or the graces of life.”
“The Carthaginians are a hard and gloomy people, submissive to their rulers, and harsh to their subjects, running to extremes of cowardice in times of fear and of cruelty in times of anger; they keep obstinately to their decisions, are austere, and care little for amusement or the graces of life.” Intent: Record history for Greeks and Romans
Author bias: Plutarch is Greek; Greeks are anti-Carthage; fought ancient wars with them “The Carthaginians are a hard and gloomy people, submissive to their rulers, and harsh to their subjects, running to extremes of cowardice in times of fear and of cruelty in times of anger; they keep obstinately to their decisions, are austere, and care little for amusement or the graces of life.” Context: Plutarch wrote long after the existence of Carthage - possibly not reliable Audience: Greek and Roman readers of histories Intent: Record history for Greeks and Romans
In my third campaign I marched against Hatti In my third campaign I marched against Hatti. Luli, king of Sidon, whom the terror-inspiring glamor of my lordship had overwhelmed, fled far overseas and perished.... As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke, I laid siege to his strong cities, walled forts, and countless small villages, and conquered them by means of well-stamped earth-ramps and battering-rams brought near the walls with an attack by foot soldiers, using mines, breeches as well as trenches. I drove out 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, big and small cattle beyond counting, and considered them slaves. The Sennacherib Prism, 701 BCE