They ride. Pestilence and death. War and Famine are perhaps also approaching. Economy, conflict.

But the entire narrative is the paradigm of ancient warfare, using the seige.

An army approaching Babylon or that once great city where all the merchants of the known World traded. Death approaches, any inhabitants facing inevitable victory or death, most are often killed or enslaved, as a larger percentage in the warfare used. Pestilence poisons the wells and water sources, causing diseases alongside Famine starving it out and burning the fields stopping any supply lines, War starts seiging the walls and dwellings, reigning fire and rocks down.

The paradigm hasn't changed much. It can be applied timelessly no matter the ages. It often becomes a historic conundrum, of the same cycle replayed again and again of events leading to conflict. Conflict then was largely city state against city state. Capitals where their surrounding towns sought refuge in their massively defensive walls and any smaller cities were destroyed. As prior armies of colorful descriptions clashed. Exasperated by technology advancing and often religion and competing nations.

Of course any text was sourced and compiled from its ancient scrolls possibly like the Bhagavad-Gita, lliad's, etc etc and prior old testament Jerimiah, Ezekiel, Isiah. Monks wrote and then rewrote on top of the same scrolls giving us the testaments. These have been scribbled over time and time again. As the same events replayed timelessly until it became a matter of fact. An easy narrative for religion to adopt cementing it into the narrative.

If there's more, it's largely because it is a conundrum for the same historic events unfolding. Until the saying went when one rides the rest follow.