I am Shutruk-Nahunte, King of Anshand and Susa, sovereign of the land of Elam. By the command of Inshushinak, I destroyed Sippar, took the stele of Niran-Sin, and brought it back to Elam, where I erected it as an offering to my God, Inshushinak. Shutruk-Nahunte, 1158 B.C.
- The Emperor’s Club
Great ambition, and conquest without contribution, is without significance.
I’ve always had a problem with history, because I was too engrossed with names. History class is memory work, so I took to memorizing names and achievements. Names worked a lot like word association: this name had something to do with this concept. This name had something to do with this event.
It made it easy to pass pop quizzes and trivia competitions and to pass multiple-choice exams, but it was torture for essay-type examinations. For my Philippine History professor, it meant hell on Earth.
“Don’t worry, you’ll pass that exam, easy,” my friend said. “You’re a good writer, and it’s an essay-type exam.” I felt rather confident, bullshitting my way through the essay. I went about my business dropping names, creating epigraphs out of quotes, relating everything to the present, and doing everything I can to write an impressive-sounding essay. History should have happened this way. I forgot the most important thing: the history itself.
