Zita (Hittite prince)
Encyclopedia
Zita, was a Hittite
prince, and probably the brother of Suppiluliuma I
, (Šuppiluliumaš of the letters), in the 382–letter correspondence
called the Amarna letters
. The letters were mostly sent to the pharaoh
of Egypt
from 1350-1335 BC, but other internal letters, vassal
-state letters, and epic
s, also word texts, are part of the letter corpus.
Zita's letter to the Egyptian pharaoh is addressed to someone at the Egyptian court.
'). The topic of Zita's letter is his desire for gold, and his sending of a "greeting-gift" as his payment, for a return greeting-gift of gold.
Tablet-letter: EA 44:
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...
prince, and probably the brother of Suppiluliuma I
Suppiluliuma I
Suppiluliuma I was king of the Hittites . He achieved fame as a great warrior and statesman, successfully challenging the then-dominant Egyptian empire for control of the lands between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates....
, (Šuppiluliumaš of the letters), in the 382–letter correspondence
Text corpus
In linguistics, a corpus or text corpus is a large and structured set of texts...
called the Amarna letters
Amarna letters
The Amarna letters are an archive of correspondence on clay tablets, mostly diplomatic, between the Egyptian administration and its representatives in Canaan and Amurru during the New Kingdom...
. The letters were mostly sent to the pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
of Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
from 1350-1335 BC, but other internal letters, vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
-state letters, and epic
Epic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
s, also word texts, are part of the letter corpus.
Zita's letter to the Egyptian pharaoh is addressed to someone at the Egyptian court.
EA 44, title: "From a Hittite prince"
In the Amarna letters, Zita is only referenced in EA 44, his own letter, (EA is for 'el AmarnaAmarna
Amarna is an extensive Egyptian archaeological site that represents the remains of the capital city newly–established and built by the Pharaoh Akhenaten of the late Eighteenth Dynasty , and abandoned shortly afterwards...
'). The topic of Zita's letter is his desire for gold, and his sending of a "greeting-gift" as his payment, for a return greeting-gift of gold.
Tablet-letter: EA 44:
- "Say to the lord, the king of Egypt-(named: MizriMizraimMizraim is the Hebrew name for the land of Egypt, with the dual suffix -āyim, perhaps referring to the "two Egypts": Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt....
), my father: Thus Zi[t]a, the king's son, your son. - May all go well with the lord, my father.
- On an earlier embassyDiplomatic missionA diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
-(visit) of any of your messengersCourierA courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
, they came to Hatti, and when they went back to you , then it was I–that sent greetings to you and had a presentGiftA gift or a present is the transfer of something without the expectation of receiving something in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is meant to be free. In many human societies, the act of mutually exchanging money, goods, etc. may contribute to...
brought to you. - ...
- [...] Herewith [I send on] to you your messengers (coming) [from] Hatti, and I also send to my father my own messengers–along with your messengers, and I send as your greeting-giftGreeting-gift (Šulmani)The Greeting-gift were gifts, or presents exchanged between Kings, and rulers of the 1350 BC-1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence...
a present of 16 men. - I myself am desirous of gold. [M]y father, send me gold. Whatever you, the lord, my father, are desirous of, write me so I can send it to you." -EA 44, lines 1-29 (lines 14-17+ are missing-(a lacunaLacuna (manuscripts)A lacunaPlural lacunae. From Latin lacūna , diminutive form of lacus . is a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or a musical work...
))
See also
- Suppiluliuma ISuppiluliuma ISuppiluliuma I was king of the Hittites . He achieved fame as a great warrior and statesman, successfully challenging the then-dominant Egyptian empire for control of the lands between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates....
- Greeting-gift (Šulmānī)Greeting-gift (Šulmani)The Greeting-gift were gifts, or presents exchanged between Kings, and rulers of the 1350 BC-1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence...
- Amarna lettersAmarna lettersThe Amarna letters are an archive of correspondence on clay tablets, mostly diplomatic, between the Egyptian administration and its representatives in Canaan and Amurru during the New Kingdom...