Maximum extent of the Hittite empire, ca. 1300 BC.
The earliest known Hittite king, Pithana, was based at Kussara. Anitta in the 18th century BC conquered Nesa, where the Hittite kings had their capital for about a century until Labarna II conquered Hattusa and took the throne name of Hattusili “man of Hattusa.” The Old Kindom, centered at Hattusa, peaked during the 16th century, and even managed to sack Babylon at one point, but made no attempt to govern there, choosing instead to turn it over to the domination of their Kassite allies who were to rule it for over 400 years. During the 15th century, Hittite power fell into obscurity, re-emerging with the reign of Tudhaliya I around 1400 BC. Under Suppiluliumas I and Mursili II, the Empire was extended to most of Anatolia and parts of Syria and Canaan, so that by 1300 the Hittites were bordering on the Egyptian sphere of influence, leading to the inconclusive Battle of Kadesh in the early 13th century. Civil war and rivaling claims to the throne, combined with the external threat of the Sea Peoples weakened the Hittites and by 1160 BC, the Empire had collapsed.
In addition to their military prowess, the Hittites were accomplished craftsmen. The earliest traces of metallurgy lie in the mountains of Anatolia. They were also one of the first peoples to smelt iron successfully.
Suppiluliumas I
Suppiluliumas I (1358 BC through 1323 BC) achieved fame as a great warrior and statesman, successfully challenging the Egyptian empire for control of the lands between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates. He was also known for his work rebuilding the Hittite capital at Hattusas. He was a master builder of large stone structures decorated with stone reliefs.
Suppilulimas gained much of his dominance by taking advantage of the tumultuous reign and premature death of the Pharoah Akhenaten. He conquered Egyptian territories in Syria and incited many other Egyptian vassals to revolt. His success encouraged the widow of the Egyptian Pharoah Akhenaten 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. Suppliluliumas dispatched an ambassador to Egypt to investigate. In due course he received the report that the situation was accurately described. Suppliluliumas decided to take advantage of this opportunity and sent his son, Prince Zannanza, to wed the pharoah’s widow. Unfortunately, his son died on the way, and the marriage alliance never was consummated. Suspecting that the Egyptians had lured his son into a trap, Suppililiumas flew into a rage, unleashing his armies against Egypt’s vassal states in Canaan and Northern Syria. Although his armies met with great success, the Egyptian prisoners carried a plague which would eventually ravage the Hittite heartland and lead to the deaths of both of Suppiluliua I and his successor, Arnuwanda II.
