He was the Son of Arnuwanda I

• Titles My Sun, Great King

• Hurrian Name Tašmi-Šarri

• Queen Šatandu-Hepa(?). So Dinçol, Dinçol, et al. (1993) 101f. Tadu-Hepa. See Dinçol, Dinçol, et al. (1993) 101f.

• Family Tudhaliya the Younger. Either a son, grandson, or son-in-law. The heir-apparent. Šuppiluliuma: Son. Zida: Son

Testified as the tuhukanti (crown prince) of Arnuwanda on a land grant text (LS 1)

On the eve of the Empire Period, we finally have, once again, a king who could claim the throne from his father’s blood. This will now be the unshakable rule for the rest of Hittite history.

This king’s reign represents a period of Hittite weakness. The Deeds of Šuppiluliuma are very fragmented for the period that Šuppiluliuma campaigned with his father, but certain things can be adduced. Its very unfortunate that the beginning of the Deeds is so badly damaged. It seems to have given a brief summary of the current state of the Hittite empire, including its key figures, leading up to Šuppiluliuma’s first campaigns. Great King Tudhaliya, a man named Telipinu, a woman named Harapšite, the land of Hayaša, and a man named Kantuzzili (probably the Priest of Kizzuwatna by that name) are mentioned.

Šuppiluliuma was largely able to pacify the Kaškans, but at the beginning of his reign he was still trying, not entirely successfully, to push back the Arzawans.

Foreign Relations

The empire under Tudhaliya III.

Arzawa: The Arzawa letters from Amarna testify to the independence of Arzawa. Amenhotep III (1390-1350) was asking for Kaškan slaves from the king of Arzawa. The Arzawa letters further indicate discussion of marriage arrangements with Tarhuntaradu of Arzawa. Arzawa occupied the Lower Lands (south central Anatolia). Šuppiluliuma I campaigned successfully against Arzawa (while campaigning for his father). Šuppiluliuma’s principle Arzawan enemy was Anzapahhadu. (See under Šuppiluliuma I)

Wiluša: (= Ilios) When Tudhaliya III invaded Arzawa, he did not invade Wiluša, because it remained friendly to the Hittites, as it traditionally had, and later continued to be. See The Treaty with Alakšandu of Wiluša.

Kizzuwatna: Part of the Hittite realm. Tried to secede to Mittanni, but Šuppiluliuma I prevented this (while campaigning for his father). See Beal (1986) 436f.

Išuwa: He lost it. CAH 2.2 pg. 6. See also The Šattiwaza of Mittanni treaty, Beckman’s translation.

Kaška: The Maşat Hüyük letters reveal that the Hittites had close relations with the Kaškans, both friendly and unfriendly. The commanders of this Hittite frontier province were constantly engaged in hostilities against the Kaškans, but they were also making friendly alliances with some groups, and even, apparently, using their Kaškan allies in warfare against their Kaškan enemies.

Egypt: The Kuruštama treaty with Egypt probably dates to this reign (Sürenhagen, Staatsverträge, pp. 11-13 (CTH #379 refers to treaty’s contents). In this treaty the Storm God takes citizens of Kuruštama (located in the Kaškan zone. Were these captured citizens?) and carries them to Egypt to become Egyptian citizens. Peace between Hatti and Egypt (Amenhotep II or Thutmose IV) is established for the first time. Peace between Hatti and Egypt in a later generation resulted in an affluence of letters between the two royal families, and a letter from “Zita, the king’s son, your son” may reflect the same situation at this earlier time. In this letter Zita first sends gifts to the Pharaoh, and then sends his messenger with a gift of sixteen men. In return for his generosity to the Egyptian king, Zita wrote,

“I want gold. My father, send me gold! And all that you, my father, wish, write to me so that I may send it to you.” (EA #44, Murnane (1990) 1)