Zita (Hittite prince)

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 epics, also word texts, are part of the letter corpus. Zita had a son called Hatupiyanza.

Zita's letter to the Egyptian pharaoh is addressed to someone at the Egyptian court.

Zita's letter to Egypt[]

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 Amarna'). 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: Mizri), my father: Thus Zi[t]a, the king's son, your son.

May all go well with the lord, my father.

On an earlier embassy-(visit) of any of your messengers, they came to Hatti, and when they went back to you, then it was I–that sent greetings to you and had a present 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-gift 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 lacuna))

See also[]

Himuili?^[a]

Tudhaliya I/II^[b]

Nikkalmati^[c]

Arnuwanda I^[c]

Asmunikal^[c]

Hattusili II?^[d]

Tudhaliya III^[e]

Daduhepa^[f]

Zida^[g]

Tudhaliya the Young^[h]

Henti^[g] (1)

Šuppiluliuma I^[h]

(2) Tawananna^[i]

Arnuwanda II^[g]

Telipinu^[j]

Sarri-Kusuh^[k]^[l]

Zannanza^[m]

Gassulawiya^[n] (1)

Mursili II^[g]

(2) Tanuhepa^[o]

Talmi-Sarruma^[p]

Sahurunuwa^[k]^[q]

Muwatalli II^[o]

Halpasulupi^[r]

Massanauzzi^[s]

Hattusili III^[t]

Puduhepa^[u]

Ini-Tesub^[k]^[v]

Urhi-Tesub^[o]

Kurunta^[w]

Nerikkaili^[x]

numerous daughters^[y] and sons^[z]

Tudhaliya IV^[aa]

Talmi-Tesub^[k]^[ab]

Hartapu^[ac]

Arnuwanda III^[ad]

Suppiluliuma II^[ad]^[ae]

Kuzi-Tesub^[af]

(1) = 1st spouse
(2) = 2nd spouse
Small caps indicates a Great King (LUGAL.GAL) of the Land of Hatti; italic small caps indicates a Great Queen or Tawananna.
Dashed lines indicate adoption.
Solid lines indicate marriage (if horizontal) or parentage (if vertical).

References:

Trevor Bryce (1997). The Kingdom of the Hittites. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
Trevor Bryce (2012). The World of the Neo-Hittite Kingdoms. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Volkert Haas (2006). Die hethitische Literatur. Berlin, Germany: de Gruyter.

Notes:

^ Scholars have suggested that Tudhaliya I/II was the son of Himuili and thus a grandson of the Hittite king Huzziya II (Bryce 1997, p. 131).
^ Bryce (1997) does not consider it clear whether Tudhaliya I/II was one king or two (p. 133).
^ ^a ^b ^c Bryce (1997), p. 139.
^ The existence of Hattusili II is doubtful (Bryce 1997, pp. 153–154).
^ Bryce (1997), p. 158.
^ Bryce (1997), p. 172.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Bryce (1997), p. 174.
^ ^a ^b Bryce (1997), p. 168.
^ Also known as Malnigal; daughter of Burnaburias II of Babylonia (Bryce 1997, p. 173).
^ ‘Great priest’ in Kizzuwadna and king (lugal) of Aleppo (Bryce 1997, p. 174).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d King (lugal) of Carchemish.
^ Bryce (1997), pp. 174, 203–204.
^ Zannanza died on his way to Egypt to marry a pharaoh's widow, probably Ankhesenpaaten, the widow of Tutankhamun (Bryce 1997, pp. 196–198).
^ Bryce (1997), p. 227.
^ ^a ^b ^c Bryce (1997), p. 230.
^ Bryce (1997), p. 220.
^ Bryce (1997), p. 222.
^ Haas (2006), p. 91.
^ Massanauzzi married Masturi, king of the Seha River Land (Bryce 1997, p. 313).
^ Bryce (1997), p. 296.
^ Puduhepa was the daughter of the Kizzuwadnan priest Pentipsarri (Bryce 1997, p. 273).
^ Bryce (1997), pp. 346, 363.
^ King (lugal) of Tarhuntassa (Bryce 1997, p. 296); apparently later Great King of Hatti (Bryce 1997, p. 354).
^ Nerikkaili married a daughter of Bentesina, king of Amurru (Bryce 1997, p. 294).
^ Two daughters of Hattusili III were married to the pharaoh Ramesses II; one was given the Egyptian name Ma(hor)nefrure. Another, Gassuwaliya, married into the royal house of Amurru. Kilushepa was married to a king of Isuwa. A daughter married into the royal family of Babylon. A sister of Tudhaliya IV married Sausgamuwa, king of Amurru after his father Bentesina. From Bryce (1997), pp. 294 and 312.
^ Bryce (1997), p. 332.
^ Bryce (1997), p. 363. Tudhaliya IV probably married a Babylonian princess, known by her title of Great Princess (dumu.sal gal) (Bryce 1997, pp. 294, 331).
^ Bryce (1997), p. 363.
^ Great King of Tarhuntassa; son of Mursili, the Great King, who is likely identical with Mursili III/Urhi-Tesub (Bryce 2012, p. 21 f.).
^ ^a ^b Bryce (1997), p. 361.
^ Last documented Great King of the Land of Hatti.
^ King and then Great King of Carchemish (Bryce 1997, pp. 384–385).

References[]

Moran, William L. The Amarna Letters. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, ISBN 0-8018-6715-0)

[1] Scholars have suggested that Tudhaliya I/II was the son of Himuili and thus a grandson of the Hittite king Huzziya II (Bryce 1997, p. 131).

[2] Bryce (1997) does not consider it clear whether Tudhaliya I/II was one king or two (p. 133).

[bryce139-3] Bryce (1997), p. 139.

[4] The existence of Hattusili II is doubtful (Bryce 1997, pp. 153–154).

[5] Bryce (1997), p. 158.

[6] Bryce (1997), p. 172.

[bryce174-7] Bryce (1997), p. 174.

[bryce168-8] Bryce (1997), p. 168.

[9] Also known as Malnigal; daughter of Burnaburias II of Babylonia (Bryce 1997, p. 173).

[10] ‘Great priest’ in Kizzuwadna and king (lugal) of Aleppo (Bryce 1997, p. 174).

[carch-11] King (lugal) of Carchemish.

[12] Bryce (1997), pp. 174, 203–204.

[13] Zannanza died on his way to Egypt to marry a pharaoh's widow, probably Ankhesenpaaten, the widow of Tutankhamun (Bryce 1997, pp. 196–198).

[14] Bryce (1997), p. 227.

[bryce230-15] Bryce (1997), p. 230.

[16] Bryce (1997), p. 220.

[17] Bryce (1997), p. 222.

[18] Haas (2006), p. 91.

[19] Massanauzzi married Masturi, king of the Seha River Land (Bryce 1997, p. 313).

[bryce296-20] Bryce (1997), p. 296.

[21] Puduhepa was the daughter of the Kizzuwadnan priest Pentipsarri (Bryce 1997, p. 273).

[22] Bryce (1997), pp. 346, 363.

[23] King (lugal) of Tarhuntassa (Bryce 1997, p. 296); apparently later Great King of Hatti (Bryce 1997, p. 354).

[24] Nerikkaili married a daughter of Bentesina, king of Amurru (Bryce 1997, p. 294).

[25] Two daughters of Hattusili III were married to the pharaoh Ramesses II; one was given the Egyptian name Ma(hor)nefrure. Another, Gassuwaliya, married into the royal house of Amurru. Kilushepa was married to a king of Isuwa. A daughter married into the royal family of Babylon. A sister of Tudhaliya IV married Sausgamuwa, king of Amurru after his father Bentesina. From Bryce (1997), pp. 294 and 312.

[26] Bryce (1997), p. 332.

[27] Bryce (1997), p. 363. Tudhaliya IV probably married a Babylonian princess, known by her title of Great Princess (dumu.sal gal) (Bryce 1997, pp. 294, 331).

[bryce363-28] Bryce (1997), p. 363.

[29] Great King of Tarhuntassa; son of Mursili, the Great King, who is likely identical with Mursili III/Urhi-Tesub (Bryce 2012, p. 21 f.).

[bryce361-30] Bryce (1997), p. 361.

[31] Last documented Great King of the Land of Hatti.

[32] King and then Great King of Carchemish (Bryce 1997, pp. 384–385).

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