Living on Ma’at: An Atenist Egypt TL
- Thread starter Merovingian
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Tarhunna and Illuyanka
Hattusa, Hittite Empire, Year One in the Reign of Arnuwanda II
There was a feeling of excitement about Hattusa, for a new king had just been crowned. The fallen King Suppiluliuma’s presence looked large through the coronation ceremony. The Tawananna[1] Henti gave her son a tender look as he took the throne, while Arnuwanda himself had a stoic look to him. The newly crowned Arnuwanda II began to speak “our king, our Lord and our Sun Suppiluliuma, has been treacherously slain on foreign soil. He died defending the frontiers of our empire against the Egyptian menace. Verily, they have taken much from us, and lest we act, they shall take far much more. Therefore, I, your Lord and Your Sun Arnuwanda, swear before the Sun Goddess of Arinna to never be a friend of Egypt. In those ancient days when the world was young, the Weather God of Heaven Tarhunna did battle against the serpent Illuyanka. The Lord of the Land of Hatti[2] was defeated, and his eyes and his heart were taken by the wicked beast. Tarhunna arranger for his son, Sarruma, to wed the daughter of the beast. The Weather God of Heaven then sent his son to retrieve his eyes and his heart. When his eyes and his heart had been retrieved, the Lord of the Land of Hatti once again did battle against the wicked dragon, and this time it was he who emerged victorious.
Just as Tarhunna, I, your Lord and your Sun Arnuwanda, have lost something of mine. My father, the Great King Suppiluliuma, was slaughtered in the most despicable way by the Egyptians. What am I to do, but avenge the death of my father? Of your Lord and your Sun, the Great King of the Nesili[3]? With the Sun Goddess of Arinna guiding my path, I, the One Lord and One Sun Arnuwanda, shall with the strength of a raging bull wage war against the Egyptians! Any king who would presume himself to ally with the Land of Egypt, I shall lay waste to his kingdom! Your Lord and your Sun declaes unto you, o Land of Hatti! Just as Tarhunna so heroically claimed his vengeance against Illuyanka, so to shall the Land of Hatti emerge triumphant over these accursed brigands! The Egyptians claim that they worship but one god, who is the sun. Such was decreed by the wretched and accursed king Ahhana-yata[4], who once dared to challenge the authority of the Great King of Hatti. Yet they soon shall learn that there is One Lord and One Sun, and his name is Arnuwanda!” The One Lord and One Sun knew then that only greatness lay in his future, and that for the Egyptians, the future brought only pain and suffering. He was the earthly representative of the Sun Goddess of Arinna and the Lord of the Land of Hatti, honor-bound to avenge his father’s death. He knew that the name “Arnuwanda“ would reverberate throughout the halls of Hattusa for centuries to come.
[1]The Tawananna was the wife and/or mother of the reigning Hittite king. The current king’s wife wouldn’t ascend to the position of Tawananna until after the previous Tawananna had died(or was banished, as would wind up happening to Henti IOTL so Suppiluliuma could secure a diplomatically advantageous marriage with a Babylonian princess)
[2]Epitaph of the Hittite god Tarhunna. The Hittite royal family derived their legitimacy from the weather god Tarhunna(called the Weather God of Heaven and the Lord of the Land of Hatti) and the sun goddess Arinniti(called the Sun Goddess of Arinna)
[3]The Hittite’s endonym
[4]Hittite rendering of “Akhenaten”
There was a feeling of excitement about Hattusa, for a new king had just been crowned. The fallen King Suppiluliuma’s presence looked large through the coronation ceremony. The Tawananna[1] Henti gave her son a tender look as he took the throne, while Arnuwanda himself had a stoic look to him. The newly crowned Arnuwanda II began to speak “our king, our Lord and our Sun Suppiluliuma, has been treacherously slain on foreign soil. He died defending the frontiers of our empire against the Egyptian menace. Verily, they have taken much from us, and lest we act, they shall take far much more. Therefore, I, your Lord and Your Sun Arnuwanda, swear before the Sun Goddess of Arinna to never be a friend of Egypt. In those ancient days when the world was young, the Weather God of Heaven Tarhunna did battle against the serpent Illuyanka. The Lord of the Land of Hatti[2] was defeated, and his eyes and his heart were taken by the wicked beast. Tarhunna arranger for his son, Sarruma, to wed the daughter of the beast. The Weather God of Heaven then sent his son to retrieve his eyes and his heart. When his eyes and his heart had been retrieved, the Lord of the Land of Hatti once again did battle against the wicked dragon, and this time it was he who emerged victorious.
Just as Tarhunna, I, your Lord and your Sun Arnuwanda, have lost something of mine. My father, the Great King Suppiluliuma, was slaughtered in the most despicable way by the Egyptians. What am I to do, but avenge the death of my father? Of your Lord and your Sun, the Great King of the Nesili[3]? With the Sun Goddess of Arinna guiding my path, I, the One Lord and One Sun Arnuwanda, shall with the strength of a raging bull wage war against the Egyptians! Any king who would presume himself to ally with the Land of Egypt, I shall lay waste to his kingdom! Your Lord and your Sun declaes unto you, o Land of Hatti! Just as Tarhunna so heroically claimed his vengeance against Illuyanka, so to shall the Land of Hatti emerge triumphant over these accursed brigands! The Egyptians claim that they worship but one god, who is the sun. Such was decreed by the wretched and accursed king Ahhana-yata[4], who once dared to challenge the authority of the Great King of Hatti. Yet they soon shall learn that there is One Lord and One Sun, and his name is Arnuwanda!” The One Lord and One Sun knew then that only greatness lay in his future, and that for the Egyptians, the future brought only pain and suffering. He was the earthly representative of the Sun Goddess of Arinna and the Lord of the Land of Hatti, honor-bound to avenge his father’s death. He knew that the name “Arnuwanda“ would reverberate throughout the halls of Hattusa for centuries to come.
[1]The Tawananna was the wife and/or mother of the reigning Hittite king. The current king’s wife wouldn’t ascend to the position of Tawananna until after the previous Tawananna had died(or was banished, as would wind up happening to Henti IOTL so Suppiluliuma could secure a diplomatically advantageous marriage with a Babylonian princess)
[2]Epitaph of the Hittite god Tarhunna. The Hittite royal family derived their legitimacy from the weather god Tarhunna(called the Weather God of Heaven and the Lord of the Land of Hatti) and the sun goddess Arinniti(called the Sun Goddess of Arinna)
[3]The Hittite’s endonym
[4]Hittite rendering of “Akhenaten”
Isfet Rising
The reign of Smenkhkare would ultimately be short, only lasting around three years. He would be succeeded by Paramessu, who ascended to the throne as Ramesses I, taking the throne name Ba-en-netjer Mery-Aten[1]. The last days of Smenkhkare’s reign would see a few notable developments, however. Having seen two major confrontations with the Hittites in a single generation, Egypt was certainly willing to accept any allies they could find. Luckily, they would indeed find an ally in the Kingdom of Arzawa. The Arzawans, ruled by King Uhha-Ziti, lay just north of the land of Hatti. Talks of making a formal alliance between Egypt and Arzawa had been going on since the reign of Akhenaten’s father, Amenhotep III. However, with the Hittite threat becoming increasingly belligerent, the need for an alliance was seen as much more imperative.
In Year Three in the Reign of Smenkhkare, Akhenaten’s second daughter, Meketaten, was married to Uhha-Ziti’s son Piyama-Radu[2]. The decision was controversial, for never before had an Egyptian princess been married to a foreigner. However, it was determined that Meketaten could be allowed to marry Piyama-Radu on one condition; that Piyama-Radu would accept the Aten into his heart and live in accordance with the laws of Ma’at. To the Arzawans, who were unfamiliar with the concept of monotheism, it seemed as if the Egyptians were only asking that they worship the Aten alongside their traditional pantheon , and so they readily accepted. It was only after Meketaten arrived in Arzawa that Piyama-Radu would come to fully understand what this would entail. However, the Arzawan would come to genuinely love his Egyptian wife, and he would grow into a devout Atenist as he learned more about the new doctrines being imported from Egypt. Piyama-Radu and Meketaten would go on to spearhead the process of bringing Atenism to the Aegean.
When Arnuwanda heard about the marriage, he was furious. First the Egyptians prevented Hittite expansion in Mitanni, then they took his father from him, and now they sought to make an alliance with a kingdom right on the Hittites’ northern border! As soon as he heard about the marriage, he ordered the movement of Hittite troops towards the Arzawan border. The Egyptians, in turn, established a garrison in the Arzawan capital of Apasa[3], who were sailed there from Lower Egypt[4]. Uhha-Ziti vowed to resist any Hittite invasion, and the newly-crowned Ramesses I claimed he would provide “whatever assistance necessary” to Egypt’s Arzawan allies. To Arnuwanda, however, this only confirmed his suspicions; Egypt was spreading its tentacles into the Hittites’ sphere of influence, and so the land of Hatti must fight back. And “fight back” they did indeed, for in the fourth year of his reign as King of Hatti, Arnuwanda II ordered the full-scale invasion of Arzawa.
[1]Soul of God, Beloved of the Aten
[2]IOTL, Piyama-Radu was an anti-Hittite rebel warlord who may have been the legitimate heir of Uhha-Ziti fighting Hittite conquest. TTL will be operating off the assumption that he was.
[3]Ephesos
[4]Contrary to what one might think, the Egyptians were quite skilled with boats; their entire civilization revolves around the Nile, and by extension, around water. The reason that they never developed a true maritime tradition was that their religious beliefs dictated that those who died outside Egypt would be denied entrance into the afterlife. With Atenism, these beliefs are butterflies away, and so Egypt will become a major maritime power in the region.
In Year Three in the Reign of Smenkhkare, Akhenaten’s second daughter, Meketaten, was married to Uhha-Ziti’s son Piyama-Radu[2]. The decision was controversial, for never before had an Egyptian princess been married to a foreigner. However, it was determined that Meketaten could be allowed to marry Piyama-Radu on one condition; that Piyama-Radu would accept the Aten into his heart and live in accordance with the laws of Ma’at. To the Arzawans, who were unfamiliar with the concept of monotheism, it seemed as if the Egyptians were only asking that they worship the Aten alongside their traditional pantheon , and so they readily accepted. It was only after Meketaten arrived in Arzawa that Piyama-Radu would come to fully understand what this would entail. However, the Arzawan would come to genuinely love his Egyptian wife, and he would grow into a devout Atenist as he learned more about the new doctrines being imported from Egypt. Piyama-Radu and Meketaten would go on to spearhead the process of bringing Atenism to the Aegean.
When Arnuwanda heard about the marriage, he was furious. First the Egyptians prevented Hittite expansion in Mitanni, then they took his father from him, and now they sought to make an alliance with a kingdom right on the Hittites’ northern border! As soon as he heard about the marriage, he ordered the movement of Hittite troops towards the Arzawan border. The Egyptians, in turn, established a garrison in the Arzawan capital of Apasa[3], who were sailed there from Lower Egypt[4]. Uhha-Ziti vowed to resist any Hittite invasion, and the newly-crowned Ramesses I claimed he would provide “whatever assistance necessary” to Egypt’s Arzawan allies. To Arnuwanda, however, this only confirmed his suspicions; Egypt was spreading its tentacles into the Hittites’ sphere of influence, and so the land of Hatti must fight back. And “fight back” they did indeed, for in the fourth year of his reign as King of Hatti, Arnuwanda II ordered the full-scale invasion of Arzawa.
[1]Soul of God, Beloved of the Aten
[2]IOTL, Piyama-Radu was an anti-Hittite rebel warlord who may have been the legitimate heir of Uhha-Ziti fighting Hittite conquest. TTL will be operating off the assumption that he was.
[3]Ephesos
[4]Contrary to what one might think, the Egyptians were quite skilled with boats; their entire civilization revolves around the Nile, and by extension, around water. The reason that they never developed a true maritime tradition was that their religious beliefs dictated that those who died outside Egypt would be denied entrance into the afterlife. With Atenism, these beliefs are butterflies away, and so Egypt will become a major maritime power in the region.
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Arnuwanda’s Fall
The Kingdom of Arzawa was under siege. Thousands of Hittite soldiers poured into the Anatolian Kingdom. Uhha-Ziti led the defense of Apasa, while his son Piyama-Radu and his wife Meketaten were relocated to the neighboring Kingdom of Wilusa[1]. In the end, Uhha-Ziti’s smaller Arzawan force was no match for the sheer size of Arnuwanda’s invasion force. Defiant to the end, Uhha-Ziti proclaimed that “should my kingdom fall, than I shall fall with it!” However, Uhha-Ziti proved to be more of a nuisance than Arnuwanda had previously expected. Uhha-Ziti’s resolve to beat back the Hittites proved inspiring to his troops, and even as the rest of Arzawa fell to the Hittite yoke, Apasa remained firm. The Arzawans were not without allies either; the Egyptians remained firm in their support for the Arzawans, supplying Apasa by sea as Arnuwanda laid siege.
Uhha-Ziti also received help from the city-state of Wilusa, and it’s King Alaksandu. Piyama-Radu used Wilusa as a base from which to conduct raids against the Hittite forces. Piyama-Radu and his band of Arzawans and Wilusans managed to put a serious dent in the Hittites’ supply lines. Eventually, Piyama-Radu would become just as much of an annoyance to Arnuwanda as Uhha-Ziti. Arnuwanda sent a smaller expeditionary force after Piyama-Radu, while his main force laid siege to Apasa. Despite the Hittites’ best efforts, however, Piyama-Radu proved difficult to capture. He would conduct small-scale raids against the Hittites, and retreat back to Wilusa. Meanwhile, Piyama-Radu’s Egyptian wife Meketaten wrote to her family in Akhet-Aten about the situation on the ground, helping to ensure continued Egyptian assistance. That said, the Arzawans couldn’t hold out forever; they were outnumbered, and holding out on a set of dwindling supplies. They would need a miracle in order to win. Fortunately, it was a miracle that they would receive.
* * * * *
While Arnuwanda was distracted in Arzawa, King Ramesses of Egypt came up with a plan to save what remained of the Arzawan resistance. Just as Apasa’s defenses began to break, legions of Egyptian troops crossed from Mitanni into the Hittite border territory of Kizzuwatna. Arnuwanda departed to lead the defense of Kizzuwatna, leaving a smaller force in Arzawa to finish the siege of Apasa. Despite slightly complicating the situation, Arnuwanda knew that the Egyptians were operating from a position of desperation; the sheer logistics needed for a successful Egyptian invasion, much less occupation, of Hatti meant that they would need divine intervention in order to pull off such an endeavor. The Egyptian and Hittite troops met at the city of Kummanni. The Battle of Kummanni ended in a decisive Egyptian victory, and Arnuwanda was forced to retreat.
His victory at Kummanni only emboldened Ramesses, who set out to take the Hittite capital city of Hattusa. Young and full of confidence, the Egyptian King was unaware of just how impossible this plan was. Arnuwanda adopted a strategy of avoiding direct conflict, instead deliberately avoiding the Egyptians. While Arnuwanda’s forces went on perpetual retreat, they made sure to deny the Egyptians any resources on their path to Hattusa. While the Hittites’ scorched earth tactics certainly hindered the Egyptians, they did not deter them. By this point, Arnuwanda had made it back to Hattusa, where he regrouped his forces. Ramesses, meanwhile, had made it to the city of Nesa just a few miles south of Hattusa, where Arnuwanda had left a decently sized garrison.
Ramesses’ siege of Nesa would prove more difficult than he anticipated. He had gone far beyond what the Egyptian supply lines could handle, and the Hittites were fighting on their own homeland. As the Egyptians sustained heavier and heavier losses, Arnuwanda and his much larger Hittite force moved south from Hattusa towards Nesa. Realizing that he had only one fate in store for him should he remain in Nesa, Ramesses’ forces went on the retreat. It was now Arnuwanda’s turn to go on the offensive. Humiliated and defeated, Ramesses’ Egyptians were chased out of Hatti. Ramesses and what was left of his army fled Hatti back into Egypt, and set towards Akhet-Aten. Despite having been defeated, however, the Egyptians managed to do their damage. That damage would soon be felt by Arnuwanda.
* * * * *
The Kaskians were a tribal people from northern Anatolian living under Hittite rule. Just a generation ago, the Kaskians had looted Hattusa itself. However, just when victory seemed inevitable, the Hittite King Suppiluliuma had restored the Hittite yoke and subject the Kaskians to rule from Hattusa. The Kaskians went on with their lives, which consisted of raising pigs and weaving linen. Now, however, Suppiluliuma was dead and the Land of Hatti was in a position of weakness. Though the Egyptian invasion had been repelled, it had exposed the weakness of the Hittites. Seeking to cast off the Hittite yoke, the Kaskians rebelled, and Arnuwanda was once again forced to relocate his troops towards the Kaskian frontier.
The Kaskians were a tribal people. They had no centralized leadership and, as a result, were rather disorganized. This disorganization would severely hinder their war effort, and the rebelling Kaskians fell one by one to the Hittite chariots. However, even while Arnuwanda won victory after victory against the Kaskians, the Hittites suffered serious defeats elsewhere. With more and more Hittite troops relocated to the Egyptian and Kaskian fronts, the Arzawan front collapsed and the combined armies of Uhha-Ziti and Piyama-Radu repelled the Hittites from Arzawa. Even having been forced out of Hatti, the Egyptians and their Mitanni allies conducted small-scale raids across the Hittite border. With the Hittites suffering defeat after defeat, murmurings were starting to arise in Hattusa itself.
* * * * *
In the city of Hattusa, it had become increasingly clear that Arnuwanda was no favored by the gods. As a result, the land of Hatti suffered. It was obvious why; Arnuwanda’s father, Suppiluliuma, had not ascended to the throne by legitimate means. He had overthrown his brother, Tudhaliya III. Such a crime was a grave sin among the Hittites, for whom the breaking of oaths was a serious taboo. It was in this environment that Zita, the younger brother of Suppiluliuma, would rise to prominence. While Arnuwanda was away fighting the Kaskians, Zita was making inroads with the Hittite priesthood and nobility. Zita knew that Hatti could not win, not as long as its current leadership remained in power. His brother had been rash and foolhardy, his nephew consumed by vengeance. Zita, by contrast, was always thinking one step ahead. The letters coming back from Arnuwanda only confirmed his suspicions that the young king was unfit to rule; Arnuwanda spoke of his campaign against the Kaskians as simply a prelude to a final confrontation against the Egyptians. Even when it was clear that the Hittites needed to recover from their current instability, the young fool insisted on war.
While Arnuwanda was away, a conspiracy of prominent aristocrats and priests of Hattusa descended upon the royal palace. The guards did not stop them, for Zita had bribed them to help him, and they wound up assisting the prince in his coup. The Tawananna Henti, alongside all of Arnuwanda’s brothers were arrested. While Zita refused to have them killed, they were his family, after all, he still had them imprisoned. So long as they remained a threat to the interests of the Hittite Empire, he could not let them walk free. Having taken power, Zita was crowned as King of the Hittites. Upon his coronation, Zita had a stela erected in the center of Hattusa explaining that Suppiluliuma had usurped the throne, and that the gods were punishing his descendants for this crime. As a result, Zita, with the approval of the Sun Goddess Arinniti and the Weather God Tarhunna, had deposed the usurper dynasty and restored the hadantatar[2] of the universe. In fact, Zita had assisted Suppiluliuma in his usurpation of the throne, loyally served both Suppiluliuma and Arnuwanda until they became what he saw as a hindrance to Hittite interests, and was now usurping the throne himself, but he was never one to get too bogged down on details. With Hattusa firmly under his control, Zita sent an expeditionary force to arrest Arnuwanda and return him to Hattusa. The Hittite Empire had collapsed into civil war.
[1]Troy
[2]Hadantatar is roughly the Hittite equivalent of the Egyptian concept of Ma’at
Uhha-Ziti also received help from the city-state of Wilusa, and it’s King Alaksandu. Piyama-Radu used Wilusa as a base from which to conduct raids against the Hittite forces. Piyama-Radu and his band of Arzawans and Wilusans managed to put a serious dent in the Hittites’ supply lines. Eventually, Piyama-Radu would become just as much of an annoyance to Arnuwanda as Uhha-Ziti. Arnuwanda sent a smaller expeditionary force after Piyama-Radu, while his main force laid siege to Apasa. Despite the Hittites’ best efforts, however, Piyama-Radu proved difficult to capture. He would conduct small-scale raids against the Hittites, and retreat back to Wilusa. Meanwhile, Piyama-Radu’s Egyptian wife Meketaten wrote to her family in Akhet-Aten about the situation on the ground, helping to ensure continued Egyptian assistance. That said, the Arzawans couldn’t hold out forever; they were outnumbered, and holding out on a set of dwindling supplies. They would need a miracle in order to win. Fortunately, it was a miracle that they would receive.
* * * * *
While Arnuwanda was distracted in Arzawa, King Ramesses of Egypt came up with a plan to save what remained of the Arzawan resistance. Just as Apasa’s defenses began to break, legions of Egyptian troops crossed from Mitanni into the Hittite border territory of Kizzuwatna. Arnuwanda departed to lead the defense of Kizzuwatna, leaving a smaller force in Arzawa to finish the siege of Apasa. Despite slightly complicating the situation, Arnuwanda knew that the Egyptians were operating from a position of desperation; the sheer logistics needed for a successful Egyptian invasion, much less occupation, of Hatti meant that they would need divine intervention in order to pull off such an endeavor. The Egyptian and Hittite troops met at the city of Kummanni. The Battle of Kummanni ended in a decisive Egyptian victory, and Arnuwanda was forced to retreat.
His victory at Kummanni only emboldened Ramesses, who set out to take the Hittite capital city of Hattusa. Young and full of confidence, the Egyptian King was unaware of just how impossible this plan was. Arnuwanda adopted a strategy of avoiding direct conflict, instead deliberately avoiding the Egyptians. While Arnuwanda’s forces went on perpetual retreat, they made sure to deny the Egyptians any resources on their path to Hattusa. While the Hittites’ scorched earth tactics certainly hindered the Egyptians, they did not deter them. By this point, Arnuwanda had made it back to Hattusa, where he regrouped his forces. Ramesses, meanwhile, had made it to the city of Nesa just a few miles south of Hattusa, where Arnuwanda had left a decently sized garrison.
Ramesses’ siege of Nesa would prove more difficult than he anticipated. He had gone far beyond what the Egyptian supply lines could handle, and the Hittites were fighting on their own homeland. As the Egyptians sustained heavier and heavier losses, Arnuwanda and his much larger Hittite force moved south from Hattusa towards Nesa. Realizing that he had only one fate in store for him should he remain in Nesa, Ramesses’ forces went on the retreat. It was now Arnuwanda’s turn to go on the offensive. Humiliated and defeated, Ramesses’ Egyptians were chased out of Hatti. Ramesses and what was left of his army fled Hatti back into Egypt, and set towards Akhet-Aten. Despite having been defeated, however, the Egyptians managed to do their damage. That damage would soon be felt by Arnuwanda.
* * * * *
The Kaskians were a tribal people from northern Anatolian living under Hittite rule. Just a generation ago, the Kaskians had looted Hattusa itself. However, just when victory seemed inevitable, the Hittite King Suppiluliuma had restored the Hittite yoke and subject the Kaskians to rule from Hattusa. The Kaskians went on with their lives, which consisted of raising pigs and weaving linen. Now, however, Suppiluliuma was dead and the Land of Hatti was in a position of weakness. Though the Egyptian invasion had been repelled, it had exposed the weakness of the Hittites. Seeking to cast off the Hittite yoke, the Kaskians rebelled, and Arnuwanda was once again forced to relocate his troops towards the Kaskian frontier.
The Kaskians were a tribal people. They had no centralized leadership and, as a result, were rather disorganized. This disorganization would severely hinder their war effort, and the rebelling Kaskians fell one by one to the Hittite chariots. However, even while Arnuwanda won victory after victory against the Kaskians, the Hittites suffered serious defeats elsewhere. With more and more Hittite troops relocated to the Egyptian and Kaskian fronts, the Arzawan front collapsed and the combined armies of Uhha-Ziti and Piyama-Radu repelled the Hittites from Arzawa. Even having been forced out of Hatti, the Egyptians and their Mitanni allies conducted small-scale raids across the Hittite border. With the Hittites suffering defeat after defeat, murmurings were starting to arise in Hattusa itself.
* * * * *
In the city of Hattusa, it had become increasingly clear that Arnuwanda was no favored by the gods. As a result, the land of Hatti suffered. It was obvious why; Arnuwanda’s father, Suppiluliuma, had not ascended to the throne by legitimate means. He had overthrown his brother, Tudhaliya III. Such a crime was a grave sin among the Hittites, for whom the breaking of oaths was a serious taboo. It was in this environment that Zita, the younger brother of Suppiluliuma, would rise to prominence. While Arnuwanda was away fighting the Kaskians, Zita was making inroads with the Hittite priesthood and nobility. Zita knew that Hatti could not win, not as long as its current leadership remained in power. His brother had been rash and foolhardy, his nephew consumed by vengeance. Zita, by contrast, was always thinking one step ahead. The letters coming back from Arnuwanda only confirmed his suspicions that the young king was unfit to rule; Arnuwanda spoke of his campaign against the Kaskians as simply a prelude to a final confrontation against the Egyptians. Even when it was clear that the Hittites needed to recover from their current instability, the young fool insisted on war.
While Arnuwanda was away, a conspiracy of prominent aristocrats and priests of Hattusa descended upon the royal palace. The guards did not stop them, for Zita had bribed them to help him, and they wound up assisting the prince in his coup. The Tawananna Henti, alongside all of Arnuwanda’s brothers were arrested. While Zita refused to have them killed, they were his family, after all, he still had them imprisoned. So long as they remained a threat to the interests of the Hittite Empire, he could not let them walk free. Having taken power, Zita was crowned as King of the Hittites. Upon his coronation, Zita had a stela erected in the center of Hattusa explaining that Suppiluliuma had usurped the throne, and that the gods were punishing his descendants for this crime. As a result, Zita, with the approval of the Sun Goddess Arinniti and the Weather God Tarhunna, had deposed the usurper dynasty and restored the hadantatar[2] of the universe. In fact, Zita had assisted Suppiluliuma in his usurpation of the throne, loyally served both Suppiluliuma and Arnuwanda until they became what he saw as a hindrance to Hittite interests, and was now usurping the throne himself, but he was never one to get too bogged down on details. With Hattusa firmly under his control, Zita sent an expeditionary force to arrest Arnuwanda and return him to Hattusa. The Hittite Empire had collapsed into civil war.
[1]Troy
[2]Hadantatar is roughly the Hittite equivalent of the Egyptian concept of Ma’at
I love the "never one to get too bogged on down on details" part. Now that's someone who is only looking out for number one hehehehe.
The Aftermath
Akhen-Aten, New Kingdom of Egypt, Year One in the Reign of Ramesses I
The young Prince Tutankhaten awaited patiently for his father to return, and was overcome with excitement when he did. Just as excited was the king’s Great Royal Wife Meritaten. Meritaten kissed the returning Ramesses with a passion he had not previously known possible, while the young Tutankhaten jumped with excitement at his father’s return. After the war, he was happy just to be home. The Hittite menace had been neutralized for at least a generation, even if he had been forced to flee in humiliation. Still, he was unsuccessful in his campaign. It was not so much that he had failed to conquer the Land of Hatti, why should he when Egypt would not have to worry about its northern borders for the rest of his life, but that he had thought such a thing possible in the first place. He had fallen victim to his own hubris, and the Aten had struck him down as a result. If anything, his faith in the Aten was now more steadfast than ever before. Having seen the Aten’s fury, he was ready to embrace His love as well.
Apasa, Kingdom of Arzawa, Year One in the Reign of Piyama-Radu
Meketaten and Piyama-Radu embraced each other in the palace of Apasa. They were happy that they were alive, that their kingdom was safe, and that they could now put their attention towards more peaceful matters. Yet not all was well in the Kingdom of Arzawa. The Great King Uhha-Ziti had sustained an arrow injury to his knee. While it had not killed him, it had effectively rendered him unable to rule[1]. Uhha-Ziti had thus been forced to give up the throne. Tommorow, there would be a coronation, and Piyama-Radu would be the next King of Arzawa. “I fear that I am not ready for this responsibility” Piyama-Radu confessed to his wife “how do I know that I will not fail as a king?” “You have the Aten on your side” Meritaten responded “and you have me on your side. Whatever comes our way, we shall face it together.” This lightened Piyama-Radu. What his wife stated was truth; they could always count on each other, no matter what. While their marriage had started off as a political one, it only purpose being to secure a closer alliance between Egypt and Arzawa, they had since been overcome with love for each other. Together, they would would bring Arzawa into the fold of the Aten, just as Meketaten’s parents had done in Egypt. Piyama-Radu had grown up worshipping the many gods and goddesses of Arzawa, unaware of the path of Ma’at which was taught by Akhenaten. Now, his Egyptian wife had turned him into a devout Atenist. The Aten’s rays were extending beyond Egypt, and it seemed that they would only spread further.
Hattusa, Hittite Empire, Year One in the Reign of Zita
The Hittite Civil War would be a short one. Zita, having taken control of Hattusa, sent his armies to arrest Arnuwanda. Arnuwanda, in turn, resisted arrest. Arnuwanda was simultaneously fighting both Zita and the Kaskians, still delusional enough to think he could regain power. Zita, however, was pragmatic; even if victory was certain, a civil war was not in the Hittite Empire’s interests. He held one major advantage that would make Arnuwanda reconsider; Arnuwanda’s family were in Zita’s custody. Arnuwanda receive a letter from Hattusa threatening to have the entire line of Suppiluliuma wipes out unless Arnuwanda surrendered himself to Zita’s forces. This, it seemed, was enough to convince the deposed King of the Hittites. Arnuwanda was publicly beheaded in a grand spectacle for all of Hattusa to see. All Zita had left to do was reign in the Kaskians, and all of Hatti was his.
There was just one thing left that he had to worry about. The Egyptians and Hittites had always been rivals, but now the Egyptians had been imbued with a new fanaticism that would lead them to the edges of the known world and beyond. The Egyptians were fighting a holy war; a war to exterminate all chaos from the world and create a new, perfected world from the ashes. Religion and politics, Zita realized, were a powerful combination. He needed to replicate the fanaticism that had led the Egyptians to invade Hatti against impossible odds. He needed to make the Hittites’ struggle just as much of a holy war as the Egyptians’ was. Zita was a smart man, and he always had something planned. And now, he had plans within plans. The emerging Atenist religion was to be declared an enemy of the state and an enemy of the gods, and the Hittites’ traditional polytheistic religion would undergo a campaign of “reinvigoration.” A new age had begun; and age of fanaticism and holy war, in which entire societies would be caught up in zealotry and hysteria. An age of intrigue and chaos, in which two hegemonic empires and their allies would compete to remake the Near East in their image. An age of war, after which the world would be rendered unrecognizable.
[1]Remember, being a Bronze Age head of state involved attending religious ceremonies, leading armies, etc. Even the most sedentary monarch(of which there were plenty), still needed to be able to walk
The young Prince Tutankhaten awaited patiently for his father to return, and was overcome with excitement when he did. Just as excited was the king’s Great Royal Wife Meritaten. Meritaten kissed the returning Ramesses with a passion he had not previously known possible, while the young Tutankhaten jumped with excitement at his father’s return. After the war, he was happy just to be home. The Hittite menace had been neutralized for at least a generation, even if he had been forced to flee in humiliation. Still, he was unsuccessful in his campaign. It was not so much that he had failed to conquer the Land of Hatti, why should he when Egypt would not have to worry about its northern borders for the rest of his life, but that he had thought such a thing possible in the first place. He had fallen victim to his own hubris, and the Aten had struck him down as a result. If anything, his faith in the Aten was now more steadfast than ever before. Having seen the Aten’s fury, he was ready to embrace His love as well.
Apasa, Kingdom of Arzawa, Year One in the Reign of Piyama-Radu
Meketaten and Piyama-Radu embraced each other in the palace of Apasa. They were happy that they were alive, that their kingdom was safe, and that they could now put their attention towards more peaceful matters. Yet not all was well in the Kingdom of Arzawa. The Great King Uhha-Ziti had sustained an arrow injury to his knee. While it had not killed him, it had effectively rendered him unable to rule[1]. Uhha-Ziti had thus been forced to give up the throne. Tommorow, there would be a coronation, and Piyama-Radu would be the next King of Arzawa. “I fear that I am not ready for this responsibility” Piyama-Radu confessed to his wife “how do I know that I will not fail as a king?” “You have the Aten on your side” Meritaten responded “and you have me on your side. Whatever comes our way, we shall face it together.” This lightened Piyama-Radu. What his wife stated was truth; they could always count on each other, no matter what. While their marriage had started off as a political one, it only purpose being to secure a closer alliance between Egypt and Arzawa, they had since been overcome with love for each other. Together, they would would bring Arzawa into the fold of the Aten, just as Meketaten’s parents had done in Egypt. Piyama-Radu had grown up worshipping the many gods and goddesses of Arzawa, unaware of the path of Ma’at which was taught by Akhenaten. Now, his Egyptian wife had turned him into a devout Atenist. The Aten’s rays were extending beyond Egypt, and it seemed that they would only spread further.
Hattusa, Hittite Empire, Year One in the Reign of Zita
The Hittite Civil War would be a short one. Zita, having taken control of Hattusa, sent his armies to arrest Arnuwanda. Arnuwanda, in turn, resisted arrest. Arnuwanda was simultaneously fighting both Zita and the Kaskians, still delusional enough to think he could regain power. Zita, however, was pragmatic; even if victory was certain, a civil war was not in the Hittite Empire’s interests. He held one major advantage that would make Arnuwanda reconsider; Arnuwanda’s family were in Zita’s custody. Arnuwanda receive a letter from Hattusa threatening to have the entire line of Suppiluliuma wipes out unless Arnuwanda surrendered himself to Zita’s forces. This, it seemed, was enough to convince the deposed King of the Hittites. Arnuwanda was publicly beheaded in a grand spectacle for all of Hattusa to see. All Zita had left to do was reign in the Kaskians, and all of Hatti was his.
There was just one thing left that he had to worry about. The Egyptians and Hittites had always been rivals, but now the Egyptians had been imbued with a new fanaticism that would lead them to the edges of the known world and beyond. The Egyptians were fighting a holy war; a war to exterminate all chaos from the world and create a new, perfected world from the ashes. Religion and politics, Zita realized, were a powerful combination. He needed to replicate the fanaticism that had led the Egyptians to invade Hatti against impossible odds. He needed to make the Hittites’ struggle just as much of a holy war as the Egyptians’ was. Zita was a smart man, and he always had something planned. And now, he had plans within plans. The emerging Atenist religion was to be declared an enemy of the state and an enemy of the gods, and the Hittites’ traditional polytheistic religion would undergo a campaign of “reinvigoration.” A new age had begun; and age of fanaticism and holy war, in which entire societies would be caught up in zealotry and hysteria. An age of intrigue and chaos, in which two hegemonic empires and their allies would compete to remake the Near East in their image. An age of war, after which the world would be rendered unrecognizable.
[1]Remember, being a Bronze Age head of state involved attending religious ceremonies, leading armies, etc. Even the most sedentary monarch(of which there were plenty), still needed to be able to walk
World War in the Bronze Age? Will this Great War cause the collapse of the Bronze Age? Or will it be one of the factors that led to Bronze Age collapse, the other being the Sea Peoples? Please let me know. Thank you.
Not quite a world war, but frequent low-scale wars that gradually escalate over time. Think of the situation between Rome and Persia prior to the Islamic conquests(or Egypt and the Hittites IOTL, for that matter). The situation isn’t that different from OTL’s Egyptian-Hittite rivalry, just that ITTL there’s a religious aspect attached. Right now, Zita’s too busy consolidating power to fight a war against the Egyptians, while the Egyptians have already consolidated their empire and have no need for further expansion.
How severe an injury / ailment to the legs have to be for a king / ruler of this era to consider abdication? If they have a serious case of gouty arthritis, would that lead to abdication? I assume any sort of leg amputation is an automatic disqualification for ruling, yes?
Severe enough that he would need assistance walking for long distances. In many ancient societies, the King was supposed to represent the pinnacle of human achievement, blueing the lines between god and man. This was rarely, if ever, actually the case, but kings had an interest in keeping up the illusion. Uhha-Ziti doesn’t have to abdicate, but did so anyway since he thinks that it’s what’s best for the continued stability of the Arzawan state.
The Rise and Fall of Zita
The ascension to Piyama-Radu to the throne of Arzawa would have a profound effect on history, even if few realized it at the time. Piyama-Radu had been converted to the Atenist faith by his Egyptian wife Meketaten, and intended to spread the ways of Ma’at to Arzawa. Shortly after ascending to the throne, Piyama-Radu erected a temple to the Aten in Apasa. Like all Atenist temples, it was filled with altars where offerings would be made, and had no roof. Religious experts were imported from Egypt[1] to preach Atenism in Apasa and operate the temple. Controversially, Piyama-Radu had the new temple built in the same district as the city’s primary pre-existing temple, alienating the priests. The new religion was categorically rejected by the upper classes, but made inroads among Apasa’s poor and slaves. To them, the idea that all were equal before the Aten, and that everyone had a chance to make it into Aaru regardless of class proved appealing.
While Arzawa’s rulers embraced Atenism, Hittite King Zita remained fearful of this new religion. The worship of the Aten was forbidden throughout the Hittite Empire on pain of death. Zita set out on a campaign of “reinvigoration” of the Hittites’ traditional pantheon. In practice, this meant an empire-wide propaganda campaign aimed at strengthening the imperial cult; temples to the Sun-Goddess Arinniti and Storm-God Tarhunna were built throughout the empire, with Zita portrayed as their agent upon Earth. In the third year of his reign, Zita ordered the idols of all gods besides Arinniti and Tarhunna to be taken to Hattusa, where they would become property of the royal court. The message was clear; even the gods themselves were subject to the king[2]. After having defeated the last remnants of the Kaskians, Zita had just three problems left; the army hated him[3], the priests and aristocracy were at best lukewarm to him, and he had no heir.
Zita set out to solve that last problem by marrying a woman named Muliliyaswa from a prominent aristocratic family. To his luck, Muliliyaswa would become pregnant. Unfortunately, the child was a daughter, Kururu. Muliliyaswa was have another daughter, Supikuni, when Zita married another woman, Tatiwasti. Tatiwasta would give Zita a son, who he named Kuwatnamuwa. This alone made Tatiwasti Zita’s favored wife. Tatiwasti and Muliliyaswa grew to passionately despise each other, Zita having all but cast Muliliyaswa aside. It wasn’t long before Tatiwasti began pressuring her husband to have something done about Muliliyaswa. Ultimately, Muliyaswa and her two daughters would be banished to the land of Ahhiyawa[4]. However, this decision had more negative side-effects than either Zita or Tatiwsti had intended.
Zita’s hold on the throne had already been fragile; he had usurped the throne with an extremely dubious justification, he had alienated his army by sending them to fight the Kaskians while he lived in luxury in his palace, he had alienated the priests by confiscating the idols of the gods and, by extension, proclaiming himself to be above them, and now he had alienated the aristocracy as well. Muliliyaswa had come from a prominent and well-connected family, and exiling her had the effect of turning them against Zita. In the Eigth year of his reign, Zita would be assassinated in his palace. In his place, the imprisoned Prince Telipinu, son of Suppiluliuma and brother of Arnuwanda. Telipinu was not meant to be anything more than a puppet, but after eight years in prison, he was simply happy to be free. That said, it would soon be abundantly clear to him that the same people who put you on the throne can just as easily remove you, the same lesson that Zita would learn the hard way. Meanwhile, in Egypt, the new Atenist faith would consolidate and further entrench its position. In the span of a few generations, the Aten would go from a comparatively obscure solar deity to the national god of the Egyptian people.
[1]By “Egypt”, I mean the royal court at Akhet-Aten, by this point most Egyptians still worship their village gods(although this is changing)
[2]In the Ancient Near East, a god’s idol was seen as its place of earthly habitation; therefore, by taking control of a god’s idol, you controlled the god itself. For example, when Assyria conquered Babylon, the idol of Marduk was taken to the temple of Ashur.
[3]Unlike Suppiluliuma and Arnuwanda, who led campaigns themselves, Zita prefers to send the army off the fight themselves while he stays in Hattusa. This hasn’t exactly endeared him with the troops.
[4]Mycenaean Greece
While Arzawa’s rulers embraced Atenism, Hittite King Zita remained fearful of this new religion. The worship of the Aten was forbidden throughout the Hittite Empire on pain of death. Zita set out on a campaign of “reinvigoration” of the Hittites’ traditional pantheon. In practice, this meant an empire-wide propaganda campaign aimed at strengthening the imperial cult; temples to the Sun-Goddess Arinniti and Storm-God Tarhunna were built throughout the empire, with Zita portrayed as their agent upon Earth. In the third year of his reign, Zita ordered the idols of all gods besides Arinniti and Tarhunna to be taken to Hattusa, where they would become property of the royal court. The message was clear; even the gods themselves were subject to the king[2]. After having defeated the last remnants of the Kaskians, Zita had just three problems left; the army hated him[3], the priests and aristocracy were at best lukewarm to him, and he had no heir.
Zita set out to solve that last problem by marrying a woman named Muliliyaswa from a prominent aristocratic family. To his luck, Muliliyaswa would become pregnant. Unfortunately, the child was a daughter, Kururu. Muliliyaswa was have another daughter, Supikuni, when Zita married another woman, Tatiwasti. Tatiwasta would give Zita a son, who he named Kuwatnamuwa. This alone made Tatiwasti Zita’s favored wife. Tatiwasti and Muliliyaswa grew to passionately despise each other, Zita having all but cast Muliliyaswa aside. It wasn’t long before Tatiwasti began pressuring her husband to have something done about Muliliyaswa. Ultimately, Muliyaswa and her two daughters would be banished to the land of Ahhiyawa[4]. However, this decision had more negative side-effects than either Zita or Tatiwsti had intended.
Zita’s hold on the throne had already been fragile; he had usurped the throne with an extremely dubious justification, he had alienated his army by sending them to fight the Kaskians while he lived in luxury in his palace, he had alienated the priests by confiscating the idols of the gods and, by extension, proclaiming himself to be above them, and now he had alienated the aristocracy as well. Muliliyaswa had come from a prominent and well-connected family, and exiling her had the effect of turning them against Zita. In the Eigth year of his reign, Zita would be assassinated in his palace. In his place, the imprisoned Prince Telipinu, son of Suppiluliuma and brother of Arnuwanda. Telipinu was not meant to be anything more than a puppet, but after eight years in prison, he was simply happy to be free. That said, it would soon be abundantly clear to him that the same people who put you on the throne can just as easily remove you, the same lesson that Zita would learn the hard way. Meanwhile, in Egypt, the new Atenist faith would consolidate and further entrench its position. In the span of a few generations, the Aten would go from a comparatively obscure solar deity to the national god of the Egyptian people.
[1]By “Egypt”, I mean the royal court at Akhet-Aten, by this point most Egyptians still worship their village gods(although this is changing)
[2]In the Ancient Near East, a god’s idol was seen as its place of earthly habitation; therefore, by taking control of a god’s idol, you controlled the god itself. For example, when Assyria conquered Babylon, the idol of Marduk was taken to the temple of Ashur.
[3]Unlike Suppiluliuma and Arnuwanda, who led campaigns themselves, Zita prefers to send the army off the fight themselves while he stays in Hattusa. This hasn’t exactly endeared him with the troops.
[4]Mycenaean Greece
Beyond the Aten’s Light
From “The Book of Games” by Nakhtaten of Abdju
Verily, no truer sign of civilization exists than the game of senet[1]. It is said that the game of senet was invented by Usir[2]. This theory is credible, for it was Usir who first taught civilization to the people of the Two Lands. The game of senet is played in all civilized lands; in the Two Lands of Egypt it is played, as it is in Retjenu, in Nubia, and in many other lands. Among barbarians who know not the Aten, it is played as well; in the Land of Put[3] it is played. The barbarians of Put, who know not the Aten, do not play senet with the same refinement as we men of the Two Lands. Rejoice! For the playing of senet is among the greatest signs of civilization. Lo! The Aten’s rays shall extend unto all lands.
From “Travels Among the Aiguptioi” by Philomenes of Krete
The Aiguptioi are a peculiar people, ancient and mysterious. The Aiguptioi worship but one god, that being Helios[4]. It is claimed among the Aiguptioi that in time immemorial, their ancestors worshipped many gods, as we do in Hellas, but that a wise king by the name of Ekhnaton taught them to revere Helios alone. Ekhnaton taught that the world exists in struggle between order and chaos, with Helios being the originator of order and chaos having pre-existed creation. The Aiguptioi believe that every human action will assist either order or chaos, and that those who lived according to order will be accepted into Elysium[5], and that those who did not will be condemned to Tartaros[6]. It is believed among the Aiguptioi that order will ultimately triumph over chaos.
The teachings of Ekhnaton are wise, even though they have not been accepted in Hellas. Rather, the teachings of Aristoxenos of Miletos, which have spread amongst our poleis, provide an interesting comparison with those of Ekhnaton. Ekhnaton taught that their is one god, that order and chaos exist in constant struggle, that man must choose between order and chaos, that our afterlife hinges upon this decision, and that order shall triumph over chaos. Aristoxenos, by contrast, taught that all things are temporary, even the gods, and that by living a virtuous life than we might attain ataraxia and escape from this cycle. It seems to this author that both teachings represent different paths originating from the same source, leading to different destinations that might indeed lead back to the initial source.
* * * * *
One of the unfortunate side-effects of having a Bronze Age POD is that I can’t go into as much detail if I have anydelusions hope of bringing the TL anywhere close to the present day. Therefore, I will be covering more events in less detail going forward now that the key tenets of the Atenist religion have been fully fleshed out. As part of this shift, I will be moving away from a narrative-based writing style to relying more heavily on various in-universe sources.
[1]Senet(literally “passing”) was an Ancient Egyptian board game. Unfortunately, the exact rules have been lost to time
[2]Osiris, seen by Atenists as having merely been an ancient human king rather than a god
[3]Phoenicia
[4]Our Greek writer is using “Helios” as a synonym for the Aten, as they are both sun gods
[5]Aaru
[6]Duat
Verily, no truer sign of civilization exists than the game of senet[1]. It is said that the game of senet was invented by Usir[2]. This theory is credible, for it was Usir who first taught civilization to the people of the Two Lands. The game of senet is played in all civilized lands; in the Two Lands of Egypt it is played, as it is in Retjenu, in Nubia, and in many other lands. Among barbarians who know not the Aten, it is played as well; in the Land of Put[3] it is played. The barbarians of Put, who know not the Aten, do not play senet with the same refinement as we men of the Two Lands. Rejoice! For the playing of senet is among the greatest signs of civilization. Lo! The Aten’s rays shall extend unto all lands.
From “Travels Among the Aiguptioi” by Philomenes of Krete
The Aiguptioi are a peculiar people, ancient and mysterious. The Aiguptioi worship but one god, that being Helios[4]. It is claimed among the Aiguptioi that in time immemorial, their ancestors worshipped many gods, as we do in Hellas, but that a wise king by the name of Ekhnaton taught them to revere Helios alone. Ekhnaton taught that the world exists in struggle between order and chaos, with Helios being the originator of order and chaos having pre-existed creation. The Aiguptioi believe that every human action will assist either order or chaos, and that those who lived according to order will be accepted into Elysium[5], and that those who did not will be condemned to Tartaros[6]. It is believed among the Aiguptioi that order will ultimately triumph over chaos.
The teachings of Ekhnaton are wise, even though they have not been accepted in Hellas. Rather, the teachings of Aristoxenos of Miletos, which have spread amongst our poleis, provide an interesting comparison with those of Ekhnaton. Ekhnaton taught that their is one god, that order and chaos exist in constant struggle, that man must choose between order and chaos, that our afterlife hinges upon this decision, and that order shall triumph over chaos. Aristoxenos, by contrast, taught that all things are temporary, even the gods, and that by living a virtuous life than we might attain ataraxia and escape from this cycle. It seems to this author that both teachings represent different paths originating from the same source, leading to different destinations that might indeed lead back to the initial source.
* * * * *
One of the unfortunate side-effects of having a Bronze Age POD is that I can’t go into as much detail if I have any
[1]Senet(literally “passing”) was an Ancient Egyptian board game. Unfortunately, the exact rules have been lost to time
[2]Osiris, seen by Atenists as having merely been an ancient human king rather than a god
[3]Phoenicia
[4]Our Greek writer is using “Helios” as a synonym for the Aten, as they are both sun gods
[5]Aaru
[6]Duat
It looks as though the Aten will be referred to by different names in different languages. I was wondering if that'd be the case, or if it'd be Aten in all languages like how all Muslims say Allah (IIRC). If Latin still exists ITTL the Aten could either be called Deus or Sol.
The Aten will (mostly) be referred to as “Aten” or some variation thereof by all Atenists. However, those from non-Atenist cultures will sometimes use th ename of their local sun god when speaking about the Aten(think of how Caesar used Latin names for the Gaulish gods).
Love this timeline so far. I'll read anything about New Kingdom Egypt, especially the Amarna period.