Hattusili I
Encyclopedia
Hattusili I was a king of the Hittite Old Kingdom. He reigned ca. 1586–1556 BC (short chronology).
He used the title of Labarna at the beginning of his reign. It is uncertain whether he is the second king so identified, making him Labarna II, or whether he is identical to Labarna I, treated as his predecessor in Hittite chronologies.
During his reign, he moved the capital from Neša
(Kaneš, near modern Kültepe) to Ḫattuša
(near modern Boghazkoy), taking the throne name of Ḫattušili to mark the occasion.
He is the earliest Hittite ruler for whom contemporary records have been found. In addition to "King of Ḫattuša", he took the title "Man of Kuššara
", a reference to the prehistoric capital and home of the Hittites, before they had occupied Neša.
A cuneiform tablet found in 1957 written in both the Hittite and the Akkadian language
provides details of six years of his reign.
In it, he claims to have extended Hittite domain to the sea, and in the second year, to have subdued Alalakh
and other cities in Syria. In the third year, he campaigned against Arzawa
in western Anatolia, then returned to Syria to spend the next three years retaking his former conquests from the Hurrians
, who had occupied them in his absence.
He used the title of Labarna at the beginning of his reign. It is uncertain whether he is the second king so identified, making him Labarna II, or whether he is identical to Labarna I, treated as his predecessor in Hittite chronologies.
During his reign, he moved the capital from 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...
(Kaneš, near modern Kültepe) to Ḫattuša
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 ....
(near modern Boghazkoy), taking the throne name of Ḫattušili to mark the occasion.
He is the earliest Hittite ruler for whom contemporary records have been found. In addition to "King of Ḫattuša", he took the title "Man of Kuššara
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 reference to the prehistoric capital and home of the Hittites, before they had occupied Neša.
A cuneiform tablet found in 1957 written in both the Hittite and the Akkadian language
Akkadian language
Akkadian is an extinct Semitic language that was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia. The earliest attested Semitic language, it used the cuneiform writing system derived ultimately from ancient Sumerian, an unrelated language isolate...
provides details of six years of his reign.
In it, he claims to have extended Hittite domain to the sea, and in the second year, to have subdued Alalakh
Alalakh
Alalakh is the name of an ancient city-state near modern Antakya in the Amuq River valley of Turkey's Hatay Province.Now represented by an extensive mound, the name of the modern archaeological site is Tell Atchana.-History:...
and other cities in Syria. In the third year, he campaigned against Arzawa
Arzawa
Arzawa in the second half of the second millennium BC was the name of a region and a political entity in Western Anatolia, the core area of which was centered on the Hermos and Maeander river valleys, corresponding with the Late Bronze Age kingdoms of the...
in western Anatolia, then returned to Syria to spend the next three years retaking his former conquests from 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...
, who had occupied them in his absence.