Anitta
Encyclopedia
Anitta, son of Pithana
, was a king of Kussara
, a city that has yet to be identified. He is the earliest known ruler to compose a text in the Hittite language
.
(and the oldest known Indo-European
text altogether). This text seems to represent a cuneiform record of Anitta's inscriptions at Kanish, perhaps compiled by Hattusili I
, one of the earliest Hittite kings of Hattusa
.
The Anitta text indicates that Anitta's father conquered Neša
(Kanish, Kültepe
), which became an important city within the kingdom of Kussara
. During his own reign, Anitta defeated Huzziya
last recorded king of Zalpuwa and the Hattic king Piyusti
and then conquered his capital at the future Hittite capital of Hattusa
. He then destroyed the city, sowed cress over it, and laid a curse on the site.
Anitta's name appears on an inscription on a dagger found in Kültepe and also, together with the name of his father, on various Kültepe texts, as well as in later Hittite tradition.
Pithana
Pithana was a Hittite Bronze Age king of the Anatolian city Kussara. He reigned ca. the 17th century BC. During his reign he conquered the city of Kanesh, heart of the Assyrian trading colonies network in Anatolia and core of the Hittite speaking territories....
, was a king of Kussara
Kussara
Kussara was a city of Bronze Age south-eastern Anatolia. The rulers of Kuššara extended their authority over central Anatolia, conquering Hittite-speaking Kanesh, destroying the future Hittite capital of Hattusa, and subjugating territories as far north as the Black Sea.A man named Pithana is the...
, a city that has yet to be identified. He is the earliest known ruler to compose a text in the Hittite language
Hittite language
Hittite is the extinct language once spoken by the Hittites, a people who created an empire centred on Hattusa in north-central Anatolia...
.
Biography
Anitta reigned in the 17th century BC (short chronology) and is the author of the Anitta text (CTH 1.A, edited in StBoT 18, 1974)http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/didact/idg/anat/hethbs.htm, the oldest known text in the Hittite languageHittite language
Hittite is the extinct language once spoken by the Hittites, a people who created an empire centred on Hattusa in north-central Anatolia...
(and the oldest known Indo-European
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
text altogether). This text seems to represent a cuneiform record of Anitta's inscriptions at Kanish, perhaps compiled by Hattusili I
Hattusili I
Hattusili I was a king of the Hittite Old Kingdom. He reigned ca. 1586–1556 BC .He used the title of Labarna at the beginning of his reign...
, one of the earliest Hittite kings of Hattusa
Hattusa
Hattusa was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. It was located near modern Boğazkale, Turkey, within the great loop of the Kızıl River ....
.
The Anitta text indicates that Anitta's father conquered Neša
Nesa
Nesa may refer to:* Neša, ancient city in Anatolia* Nisa, Turkmenistan, also transliterated as Nesa* Nesa , a genus of gossamer-winged butterfliesThe acronym NESA can stand for:* NESA, the National Eagle Scout Association...
(Kanish, Kültepe
Kültepe
Kültepe is a modern village near the ancient city of Kaneš or Kanesh , located in the Kayseri Province of Turkey's Central Anatolia Region...
), which became an important city within the kingdom of Kussara
Kussara
Kussara was a city of Bronze Age south-eastern Anatolia. The rulers of Kuššara extended their authority over central Anatolia, conquering Hittite-speaking Kanesh, destroying the future Hittite capital of Hattusa, and subjugating territories as far north as the Black Sea.A man named Pithana is the...
. During his own reign, Anitta defeated Huzziya
Huzziya
Huzziya was the last recorded king of Zalpuwa. He was captured by Anitta the Hittite king of Neša. Anitta had been confronted with what appears to have been a military alliance of states stretching southwards from Zalpa, an alliance in which Piyusti, the king of Hatti, and Huzziya, the king of...
last recorded king of Zalpuwa and the Hattic king Piyusti
Piyusti
Piyusti or Piyušti was a king of Hattusa ca. the 17th century BC . He is mentioned in the Anitta text as being defeated by Anitta on at least two occasions. In the second encounter, Piyusti and his auxiliary troops were defeated at the town of Šalampa. Later, Anitta was able to storm the city of...
and then conquered his capital at the future Hittite capital of Hattusa
Hattusa
Hattusa was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. It was located near modern Boğazkale, Turkey, within the great loop of the Kızıl River ....
. He then destroyed the city, sowed cress over it, and laid a curse on the site.
Anitta's name appears on an inscription on a dagger found in Kültepe and also, together with the name of his father, on various Kültepe texts, as well as in later Hittite tradition.