The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-09-30
CARTOONS 5000 YEARS OLD.
War caricatures Dating Back to a
Period 1000 Years Before Christ.

Period 1000 Years Before Christ.
Now, when the continent is flooded
with cartoons and caricatures rela-
tive to the Russo-Japanese War, it
may not be out of place to present
readers with reproductions Of por
tions of a war cartoon drawn at least
1900 years ago.
The drawing is found upon sa.
tirica papyrus now in the museum at
Turin, and is clearly an artistic par.
ody of the scenes sculptured upon
so many of the Theban temple walls,
representing the wars and personal
heroism of Rameses II. against the
Kheta. The cartoon belongs to the
period of the twentieth dynasty,
about B. G. 1000, when the military
spirit was declining in Egypt, and
when the upper and middle classes
became INDECENT with luxury, and
looked down upon the once noble
military profession. In the British
museum are two satires written on
papyri, which depict the wretched
life in the ranks.
Of the soldiers life it says: Ellis
victuals and supply of water are tied
round his neck like an ass, and his
neck and throat are like those of an
ass. He is perpetually kept on guard,
drinking only putrid water, and when
he does return to Egypt his face is
like piece of worm-eaten WOOD In
the second papyrus,, which relates to
the characters, we have very mod
ern tone. 1t says:
HE, doubtless, in moment OF
vainglory and fiattered vanity, Is
supplied according to regulations
with chariot and two horses, which
he drives at full gallop before his
parents and fellow villagers, but hav.
ing once more rejoined the ranks of
his regiment, he is worse off than
the foot soldier and when kit inspec-
ton comes his misery is complete.
No sooner has it been noticed that
his arms are in bad condition and
dirty, or that some article is miss
ing, than he is thrown upon the
ground, and beaten with stick"
It was during this period that the
caricature we reproduce was drawn
and it is monifestly founded on one
of the scenes sculptured on the walls
of some Theban temple. Here we see
the Pharaoh of all the rats standing
in his chariot drawn by dogs charg-
ing an army Of cats. Standing in his
chariot and drawing his bow, he
pierces the foe with his arrows, while
the dogs tread them under foot. His
rat army advances before him to
storm a city defended by cats, in the
same manner that the Egyptian army
is depicted stormiEg a Hittite fort
ress. A single combat between a rat
and cat, each armed with clubs, is
very graphically depicted, and the
whole is grotesquely burlesque of the
real warfare of the time.
Another cartoon from a papyrus In
the British museum represents lion
and an ass playing at draughts, the
war game" of the period. This idea
is continually used by cartoonists,
and it is surprising to find it to be
5000 years old: 1t has been suggest.
ed that there are only five humorous
stories, upon which all others are
based. 1t would seem as If the ideas
for cartoons were also strictly linn
tied, and that the cartoonists of the
days Of the Pharaobs had much the
same ideas as those who to-day are
dealing with modern warfare and
modern political Standardization
| Chronicle.