Special Sub-Topic: Kings of the Land of Hatti Click Here To Play: Kings of the Land of Hatti

I was a great warrior and a mighty king. Yet, when I received a message from a woman, it so shocked me that I exclaimed: "Such a thing never happened to me in my whole life!" Who was I?

Suppiluliuma I. After the death of Tutankhamen, his queen, Ankhesenamun, sent a message to Suppiluliuma, requesting that he send one of his five sons to be her husband, and Pharoah of Egypt, for she would not wed one of her servants. The lucky prince, Zannanza, was murdered mysteriously in Palestine, en route to Egypt. Ankhesenamun then wed Ay, the "Grand Vizier". Enraged and grief stricken, Suppiluliuma launched an invasion of Egyptian territory in Syria, taking Damascus (then called Aba). In so doing, he brought a plague back to Hatti which would eventually kill him.

I came to the throne when I was a young man, but I won great victories. Many great cities fell before me including mighty Babylon, thanks be to My Lady the Sun Goddess or Arinna. But I was not allowed to savor my triumph, for I was murdered by my brother-in-law, Hantili. Who was I?

Mursili I. Mursili I succeeded his grandfather, Hattusili I, to the Hittite throne. In the beginning, Pimpira ruled as regent. Later, Mursili took the city of Aleppo, in Syria, and marched on to sack Babylon in 1595 B.C.E.

I was the son of a king, the brother of a king, the nephew of a king, and the cousin of a king. All of them were kings of the Land of Hatti. By all of them, I was shown favor. But I was not satisfied with my kingdom of Tarhuntassa. I wanted it all, and had it, briefly. Who was I?

Kurunta. Kurunta was a younger son of Muwatalli II, the brother of Mursili III, the nephew of Hattusili III, and the cousin of Tudhaliya IV. Hattusili granted him the kingdom of Tarhuntassa, which was located on Mediterranean coast. However, recent evidence suggests that during the reign of Tudhaliya IV, with whom he had been very close, he decided to rebel. What happened to Kurunta after the revolt was suppressed is a mystery.

Okay, these last two questions are a bit more general. What was the special title of the King?

Labarna. According to some of the most ancient Hittite texts, this was the name of the first documented Hittite King of the Land of Hatti.

What was the special title of the Queen?

Tawananna. Originally, this was a title given to a female relative of the King, but, eventually, it was reserved for his wife. However, once a woman became Tawananna, she held the office for her entire life (with a few exceptions).