Anitta, son of
Pitḫana, was a Middle Bronze Age king of
Kuššara (c. 1740-1725 BC
middle chronology
The chronology of the ancient Near East is a framework of dates for various events, rulers and dynasties. Historical inscriptions and texts customarily record events in terms of a succession of officials or rulers: "in the year X of king Y". Com ...
). The city has not yet been identified. He is the earliest known ruler to compose a text in the
Hittite language
Hittite (, or ), also known as Nesite (Nešite/Neshite, Nessite), is an extinct Indo-European language that was spoken by the Hittites, a people of Bronze Age Anatolia who created an empire centred on Hattusa, as well as parts of the northern ...
.
His high official, or ''rabi simmiltim'', was named Peruwa.
Reign
Anitta, according to the
middle chronology
The chronology of the ancient Near East is a framework of dates for various events, rulers and dynasties. Historical inscriptions and texts customarily record events in terms of a succession of officials or rulers: "in the year X of king Y". Com ...
, reigned c. 1740–1725 BC, or alternatively c. 1730-1715 BC (low middle chronology), and is the author of the ''Anitta text'' (
CTH 1.A, edited in
StBoT 18, 1974), the oldest known text in the
Hittite language
Hittite (, or ), also known as Nesite (Nešite/Neshite, Nessite), is an extinct Indo-European language that was spoken by the Hittites, a people of Bronze Age Anatolia who created an empire centred on Hattusa, as well as parts of the northern ...
, also classified as "cushion-shaped" tablet KBo 3.22, being the oldest known text in an
Indo-European language
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia ( ...
altogether. Also known as ''Deeds of Anitta'', it is considered by Alfonso Archi as originally written in Akkadian language and Old Assyrian script, at the time Anitta ruled from
Kanesh, when Assur colonies were still in Anatolia. This text seems to represent a cuneiform record of Anitta's inscriptions at Kanesh too, perhaps compiled by
Hattusili I Ḫattušili (''Ḫattušiliš'' in the inflected nominative case) was the regnal name of three Hittite kings:
* Hattusili I (Labarna II)
* Hattusili II
*Hattusili III Ḫattušili (''Ḫattušiliš'' in the inflected nominative case) was the regnal ...
, one of the earliest Hittite kings of
Hattusa
Hattusa, also Hattuşa, Ḫattuša, Hattusas, or Hattusha, was the capital of the Hittites, Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age during two distinct periods. Its ruins lie near modern Boğazkale, Turkey (originally Boğazköy) within the great ...
.
The ''Anitta text'' or ''Proclamation of Anitta''
CTH 1 indicates that Anitta's father conquered Neša (Kanesh,
Kültepe
Kültepe ( Turkish: ), also known under its ancient name Kaneš (Kanesh, sometimes also Kaniš/Kanish) or Neša (Nesha), is an archaeological site in Kayseri Province, Turkey. It was already a major settlement at the beginning of the 3rd mille ...
), which became an important city within the kingdom of
Kuššara. During his own reign, Anitta defeated
Huzziya, the last recorded king of
Zalpuwa, and the Hattic king
Piyusti and then conquered his capital at the site of the future Hittite capital of
Hattusa
Hattusa, also Hattuşa, Ḫattuša, Hattusas, or Hattusha, was the capital of the Hittites, Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age during two distinct periods. Its ruins lie near modern Boğazkale, Turkey (originally Boğazköy) within the great ...
. He then destroyed the city, sowed the ground with weeds, and laid a curse on the site.
Anitta, Son of Pithana, King of Kussara, speak! He was dear to the Stormgod of Heaven, and when he was dear to the Stormgod of Heaven, the king of Nesa erb broken offto the king of Kussara. The king of Kussara, Pithana, came down out of the city in force, and he took the city of Nesa in the night by force. He took the King of Nesa captive, but he did not do any evil to the inhabitants of Nesa; instead, he made them mothers and fathers. After my father, Pithana, I suppresed a revolt in the same year. Whatever lands rose up in the direction of the sunrise, I defeated each of the aforementioned.
Previously, Uhna, the king of Zalpuwas, had removed our Sius from the city of Nesa to the city of Zalpuwas. But subsequently, I, Anittas, the Great King, brought our Sius back from Zalpuwas to Nesa. But Huzziyas, the king of Zalpuwas, I brought back alive to Nesa. The city of Hattusas ablet brokencontrived. And I abandoned it. But afterwards, when it suffered famine, my goddess, Halmasuwiz, handed it over to me. And in the night I took it by force; and in its place, I sowed weeds. Whoever becomes king after me and settles Hattusas again, may the Stormgod of Heaven smite him![https://web.archive.org/web/20140303180049/http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/hitol-1-R.html Sara E. Kimball and Jonathan Slocum]
Attestations
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.
See also
*
History of the Hittites
The Hittites () were an Anatolian Indo-European people who formed one of the first major civilizations of the Bronze Age in West Asia. Possibly originating from beyond the Black Sea, they settled in modern-day Turkey in the early 2nd millen ...
Notes
External links
The Anitta text*
{{Authority control
Kings of Kussara
18th-century BC monarchs
Hattusa