Hittites

Hittites

Language

Militarism

Religion

Government

Law

Hittite is deciphered

Indo-

European

Languages

Hattushas Lion Gate

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Militarism

Compare with Knossos

Battle of Kadesh

c. 1274 BCE

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Dawn

Hittite religion

• Hittite religion is complicated by adoption of conquered kingdoms religion, so Hatti is known as
• “The Country of a 1,000 gods.”
• This makes analysis difficult, but the major god is a Storm god”
• Hittite for ‘god’ is “shiush” meaning light

None are universal

But specific to that people, they are the people’s “lord”

who protects them.

Since the gods are not universal, there is a storm-god of the

Hittites, Zeus for the Greeks, Jupiter for the Romans, as well as

Tarhunt for the Luwians, Teshup for the Hurrians, etc.

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Reward for worship is in THIS life.

Afterlife for us�

The netherworld is below ground without sunlight.

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“One does not recognize the other. Sisters by the same mother

do not recognize each other. A mother does not recognize her

own child… From a fine table they do not eat. From a fine cup

They do not drink. They eat bits of mud, they drink muddy water.”

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Ie., gloomy view, not the Egyptian or Mystery religion view.

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Pankush

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Council of ‘lords’

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Hittite Laws

1 [If] anyone kills [a man] or a woman in a [quarr]eL he shall [bring him]

for burial and shall give 4 persons, male or female respectively.

He shall look [to his house for it}".,

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3.[If} anyone strikes a free {man] or woman so that he dies,

but it is an accident,

he shall bring him for burial and shall give 2 persons.

He shall look to his house for it.

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Laws of restitution

Mycenean Greek

Mycenae--------------Hattushas

Mycenean Death Mask, NOT Agamemnon, c. 1550 BC

Troy Reconstructed

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