Hantili I was a king of the Hittites

Hittites

The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...

 during the Hittite Old Kingdom. His reign lasted for 30 years, from c. 1526-1496 B.C.

Rise to power

According to the Telepinu Proclamation, Hantili was the royal cup-bearer

Cup-bearer

A cup-bearer was an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty it was to serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues, a person must be regarded as thoroughly trustworthy to hold this position. He must guard against poison in the king's cup, and...

 to Mursili I

Mursili I

Mursili I was a king of the Hittites ca. 1556–1526 BC , and was likely a grandson of his predecessor, Hattusili I. His sister was Harapšili.- Biography :...

, king of the Hittites. Hantili was married to Harapšili, Mursili's sister. Around the year 1526 B.C., Hantili, with the help of Zidanta

Zidanta I

Zidanta I was a king of the Hittites , ruling for 10 years, ca. 1496–1486 BC . According to the Edict of Telepinu, this king became a ruler by murder.- Biography :...

, his son-in-law, assassinated Mursili. Afterwards, Hantili succeeded him as king of the Hittites.

Reign

There are only a few scattered sources left that describe the reign of Hantili. During his reign, he continued the militaristic traditions of the kings before him. One of Hantili's main concerns was maintaining Hittite control in Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

. He journeyed to the city of Carchemish

Carchemish

Carchemish or Kargamış was an important ancient city of the Mitanni, Hittite and Neo Assyrian Empires, now on the frontier between Turkey and Syria. It was the location of an important battle between the Babylonians and Egyptians, mentioned in the Bible...

 to conduct a military campaign, most likely against the Hurrians

Hurrians

The Hurrians were a people of the Ancient Near East who lived in Northern Mesopotamia and adjacent regions during the Bronze Age.The largest and most influential Hurrian nation was the kingdom of Mitanni. The population of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia to a large part consisted of Hurrians, and...

, longtime enemies of the Hittites. The success of this campaign is unknown.

After the conclusion of this campaign, he made his return journey to 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 Hittite capital. While on this journey, he reached the city of Tegarama, which is possibly the modern day Turkish city of Gürün

Gürün

Gürün is a town and a district of Sivas Province of Turkey. The mayor is Mehmet Aktaş .-External links:*...

. At this point, the Telepinu Proclamation states that Hantili started to develop paranoia, saying to himself, "What is this (that) I have done? [Why] did I listen to [the words of] Zidanta, my [son-in-law? As soon as] he reigned [as king], the gods sought (justice for) the blood of Muršili".

Family

Hantili's parents are not known. His wife was Queen Harapšili, and they had at least one daughter. Hantili's grandson was Ammuna

Ammuna

Ammuna was a King of the Hittites ca. 1486–1466 BC . The land seems to have suffered badly during his reign, and he lost a considerable amount of territory.- Biography :...

, who killed Zidanta.

External links

• Reign of Hantili I