HATTUSILI
III
![](Felsrelief_von_Firaktin_Hattusili_III_(cropped).jpg)
Rock
relief of Hattusili III
Reign : c. 1275–1245 BC
Preceded by : Mursili
III
Succeeded by : Tudhaliya
IV
Consort : Puduhepa
Issue : Tudhaliya IV, Maathorneferure and Kiluš-Hepa
Father : Mursili
II
Mother : Gassulawiya
Religion : Hittite
religion
Regnal
titles of Hattusili III : King of the Hittites
Khattushilish
III / Hattusilis III / Hattushilish III / Hattusili III (Hittite:
"from Hattusa") was king of the Hittite empire (New Kingdom)
c. 1275–1245 BC (middle chronology) or 1267–1237 BC
(short chronology timeline).
Early
life and family :
Much of what is known about the childhood of Hattusili III is gathered
from a biographical account, written on a stone tablet during his
reign, referred to as the Apology. Hattusili III was born the youngest
of four children to the Hittite king Mursili II and queen Gassulawiya.
According to Hattusili III himself, he was an ill and sickly child
who was initially expected not to survive to adulthood. Hattusili
III credited the goddess Ishtar with saving his life during this
period, and would remain an ardent patron of Ishtar indefinitely.
Due to his place as the youngest son, Hattusili III did not become
king after the death of his father. Instead his older brother Muwattalli
II ascended the throne.
Before
becoming king, Hattusili III married Puduhepa, a priestess of Ishtar,
who later became an important Hittite queen in her own right. With
Puduhepa, Hattusili III had three children, including his successor
Tudhaliya IV.
Rise
to kingship and reign as king :
![](Apologie_de_Hattusili_III.jpg)
Apology
of Hattusili III
When his brother Muwattalli II became king, Hattusili III was appointed
to govern over the northern lands of the Hittite empire. While this
initially caused minor controversy among the locals and the ousted
governor, Hattusili III was quick to quash dissidence with military
force and turned his eyes towards conquering new territories surrounding
the northern Hittite lands. When the King made the decision to move
the capital from Hattusa to Tarhuntassa, Hattusili III was left
to quash the rebellions that arose due to this decision. Subsequently,
Hattusili III was made King of the northern territories by his brother
Muwattalli II.
Upon
the death of Muwattalli II, Hattusili III's nephew Urhi-Teshub became
king. There was controversy with this appointment, because Urhi-Teshub
was the son of Muwattalli's concubine, not his wife. Despite his
origins as a "second-rank son", Hattusili III initially
supported Urhi-Teshub's kingship as it was the wish of Muwatalli
II that Urhi-Teshub should rule. Urhi-Teshub ruled under the name
Mursili III. Shortly after his accession to the throne, Mursili
III had the capital moved from Tarhuntassa back to its original
home of Hattussa. This effectively reduced much of Hattusili's power
in the region and nullified his role as king of the northern territories.
Hattusili III was also stripped of all of his territories aside
from Hapkis and Nerik. This strained the relationship greatly, and
upon having Nerik stripped of him as well, Hattusili III sought
to usurp the throne.
After
deposing Mursili III as king, Hattusili III exiled him to Syria.
Hattusili III appointed Muwattalli II's other son Kurunta, whom
he himself had raised, to govern Tarhuntassa in a similar capacity
that Hattusili III himself had once held.
As
king, Hattussili III sought to keep a correspondence with many different
kingships in the surrounding areas. After his ascension to the throne,
Hattusili III began a correspondence with Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses
II that culminated in the first ever recorded peace treaty, the
Eternal Treaty (also known as the Treaty of Kadesh). This correspondence
took place roughly fifteen years after the Battle of Kadesh.
Hattusili's
reign as king is notable for the large collection of letters and
written accounts unearthed from this period. Over two-hundred letters
were unearthed at the site of the royal palace in Hattusa. These
primary sources, including The Apology, the Talagalawa letter, and
the Arzawa letters, are considered among the very few primary sources
available from the Hittite empire of the time.
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org