Suppiluliuma I
Suppiluliuma I (
Shuppiluliuma) was king of the
Hittites (ca.
1358 BC –
1323 BC). He achieved fame as a great warrior and statesman, successfully challenging the then-dominant
Egyptian empire for control of the lands between the Mediterranean and the
Euphrates.
Suppiluliuma began his career as advisor and general to
Tudhaliya III, then based at
Samuha. In this capacity he defeated the Hittites' enemies among the
Hayasa and the
Kaskas. Both enemies then united around charismatic leaders to counter him; of these Karanni founded a semblance of a royal court in Hayasa, and Piyapili failed to do likewise for the Kaska. Suppiluliuma and Tudhaliya defeated these threats in turn, to the extent that the Hittite court could settle in
Hattusa again.
At some point, Suppiluliuma deposed and probably murdered his liege. Some of the priests later reported this to Suppiluliumas's son, successor, and biographer
Mursili II, holding it as an outstanding crime of the whole dynasty.
Suppiluliuma married a sister to the Hayasan king Hukkana, and his daughter Muwatti to Maskhuiluwa of the Arzawan state Mira. He retook Arzawan territory as far as Hapalla. His most permanent victory was against the
Mitanni kingdom, which he reduced to a client state under his son-in-law
Shattiwazza. He was also a master builder of large stone structures decorated with stone reliefs. It was during his reign that concepts of the sacred nature of royal leaders developed.
Suppiluliuma then took advantage of the tumultuous reign of the
Pharaoh Akhenaten, and seized control of Egyptian territory in
Syria, inciting many Egyptian vassals to revolt.
His success encouraged the widow of the Egyptian king
Nibhuruyira (usually identified with
Akhenaten or
Tutankhamun) to write to him, asking him to send one of his sons to be her husband and rule Egypt, since she had no heir and did not wish to marry a commoner. Suppliluliuma dispatched an ambassador to Egypt to investigate; he reported that the situation was accurately described, and the king decided to take advantage of this windfall; unfortunately, Prince
Zannanza died on the way, and the marriage alliance never was consummated.
Suppililiuma was furious at this turn at events and unleashed his armies against Egypt's vassal states in Canaan and Northern Syria capturing much territory.
Unfortunately, many of the Egyptian prisoners carried a plague which would eventually ravage the Hittite heartland and lead to the deaths of both of Suppiluliuma I and his successor,
Arnuwanda II.
The
Annals of Suppiluliuma, compiled after his death by his son
Mursili II, is an important primary source for the 14th century BC. One of Suppiluliuma's letters, addressed to Akenaten, was preserved in the
Amarna letters (EA 41) archive at Akhetaten. It expresses his hope that the good relations which existed between Egypt and Hatti under Akhenaten's father would continue into Akhenaten's new reign.
*
Piyashshili*
Suppiluliuma II*
Reign of Suppiluliuma I
