Piyassili (also transliterated as ''Piyaššili''; died ca. 1315 BC), also known as Sarri-Kusuh (or ''Šarri-Kušuḫ''), was a Hittite prince and a middle son of King

Šuppiluliuma I Šuppiluliuma I, also Suppiluliuma () or Suppiluliumas (died c. 1322 BC) () was an ancient Hittite king (r. –1322 BC).Bryce 2005: xv, 154; Freu 2007b: 311 dates the reign to c. 1350–c. 1319 BC; Kuhrt 1995: 230 dates him within the range 1370 ...

—younger than the heir

Arnuwanda II Arnuwanda II was a Hittite great king who reigned in the late 14th century BC, perhaps in c. 1322–1321 BC. His reign was a briefly interlude between those of his father Šuppiluliuma I and younger brother Muršili II. Early Life Arnuwanda ...

, but older than the eventual successor

Muršili II Mursili II (also spelled Mursilis II) was a king of the Hittite Empire (New kingdom) –1295 BC (middle chronology) or 1321–1295 BC (short chronology). Early Life Mursili was the third born son of King Suppiluliuma I, one of the most powerful ...

and probably older than the ill-fated

Zannanza Zannanza (died c. 1324 BC) was a Hittite prince, son of Suppiluliuma I, king of the Hittites. He is best known for almost becoming the pharaoh of Egypt, but his disappearance under mysterious circumstances caused a diplomatic incident between th ...

too. After Šuppiluliuma concluded a treaty with

Shattiwaza Shattiwaza or Šattiwaza, alternatively referred to as Kurtiwaza or ''Mattiwaza'', was a king of the Hurrian kingdom of Mitanni, who reigned 1330-1305 BC. Biography Shattiwaza was the son of king Tushratta. His Hurrian name was ''Kili-Tešup''. ...

, son of King

Tushratta Tushratta ( Akkadian: and ) was a king of Mitanni, 1358–1335 BCE, at the end of the reign of Amenhotep III and throughout the first half the reign of Akhenaten. He was the son of Shuttarna II. Tushratta stated that he was the grandson of A ...

Mitanni Mitanni (–1260 BC), earlier called Ḫabigalbat in old Babylonian texts, ; Hanigalbat or Hani-Rabbat in Assyrian records, or in Ancient Egypt, Egyptian texts, was a Hurrian language, Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria (region), Syria an ...

, and married one of his daughters to him, Piyassili led a Hittite army that put Shattiwaza on the throne of Hanigalbat. According to Hittite sources, Piyassili and Shattiwaza crossed the

Euphrates The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...

Carchemish Carchemish ( or ), also spelled Karkemish (), was an important ancient capital in the northern part of the region of Syria. At times during its history the city was independent, but it was also part of the Mitanni, Hittite and Neo-Assyrian ...

, then marched against

Irridu Irridu (Irrite) was a city in northwestern Mesopotamia, likely located between Harran and Carchemish. It flourished in the middle and late Bronze Age before being destroyed by Assyria. History Middle Bronze IIA Yamhad Period The city was first m ...

, already in

Hurrian The Hurrians (; ; also called Hari, Khurrites, Hourri, Churri, Hurri) were a people who inhabited the Ancient Near East during the Bronze Age. They spoke the Hurro-Urartian language, Hurrian language, and lived throughout northern Syria (region) ...

territory. After having reduced Irridu and

Harran Harran is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey. Its area is 904 km2, and its population is 96,072 (2022). It is approximately southeast of Urfa and from the Syrian border crossing at Akçakale. ...

, they continued east towards to Washukanni and perhaps conquered the capital

Taite Taite (called ''Ta'idu'' in Assyrian sources) was one of the capitals of the Mitanni Empire. Its exact location is still unknown, although it is speculated to be in the Khabur region. The site of Tall Al-Hamidiya has recently been proposed as th ...

as well.

Biography

After Shattiwaza had been made a vassal ruler of

Hanigalbat Mitanni (–1260 BC), earlier called Ḫabigalbat in old Babylonian texts, ; Hanigalbat or Hani-Rabbat in Assyrian records, or in Egyptian texts, was a Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and southeast Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) with ...

, Suppiluliuma gave to Piyassili the Hurrian name Sarri-Kusuh and the territory of Ashtata (with the cities of Ekalte, Ahuna and

Terqa Terqa is an ancient city discovered at the site of Tell Ashara on the banks of the middle Euphrates in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria, approximately from the modern border with Iraq and north of the ancient site of Mari, Syria. Its name had b ...

) and

, formerly belonging to Hanigalbat. "And all of the cities of the land of Carchemish, Murmurik, Shipri, Mazuwati and Šurun – these fortified cities– I gave to my son."Šuppiluliuma–Shattiwaza treaty, § 13. In fact, the whole former territory of Hanigalbat west of the Euphrates seems to have come under direct Hittite rule and was governed by Piyassili. When the Egyptians attacked

Kadesh Qadesh, Qedesh, Qetesh, Kadesh, Kedesh, Kadeš and Qades come from the common Semitic root "Q-D-Š", which means "sacred." Kadesh and variations may refer to: Ancient/biblical places * Kadesh (Syria) or Qadesh, an ancient city of the Levant, on ...

, Šuppiluliuma besieged and retook the town. The people were deported and Šuppiluliuma made Piyassili governor of that town as well. Still bearing the name "Sarri-Kusuh" Piyashshili came to Muršili's aid in the campaign against

Arzawa Arzawa was a region and political entity in Western Anatolia during the Late Bronze Age. In Hittite texts, the term is used to refer both to a particular kingdom and to a loose confederation of states. The chief Arzawan state, whose capital wa ...

around 1320 BC. Piyassili then returned to Carchemish. Piyassili fell ill and died before the ninth year of

's reign. After his death, a rebellion broke out in Kadesh and

Nuhašše Nuhašše (kurnu-ḫa-áš-še; kurnu-ḫa-šeki), was a region in northwestern Syria that flourished in the 2nd millennium BC. It was east of the Orontes River bordering Aleppo (northwest) and Qatna (south). It was a petty kingdom or federacy of ...

. After it had been quelled, Piyassili's son was made king of Carchemish by his uncle Muršili II.

References

External links

Text of the Suppiluliuma-Shattiwazza treaty
Hittite people Hittite viceroys of Carchemish 14th-century BC deaths Year of birth unknown 14th-century BC monarchs in Asia {{MEast-royal-stub