Warriors of Anatolia. A Concise History of the Hittites - Trevor Bryce

THE ROLE OF THE TREATY

Yet diplomatic activity often provided the Hittites with a relatively
successful means of maintaining their authority through the lands
they won initially by force. After deporting many of a defeated
country’s inhabitants, thus weakening the country’s potential for
future uprisings, a Hittite king sought to seal his authority over it by
a treaty which bound its ruler to him as his vassal. Vassal treaties
were one-to-one compacts drawn up by the Hittite king and
imposed upon his vassal, either one who had ruled his state before
it was conquered, or one newly appointed by the Hittite king.
In both cases, the ruler was of local origin. He was granted a large
measure of autonomy in the way he administered his own
kingdom. And in return for fulfilling his obligations to his overlord,
he was guaranteed not only his own rule in his state but also that of
his rightful successors to the throne. The guarantee was backed by
an assurance of Hittite military support, if this proved necessary.
In return, the vassal swore unconditional allegiance to his overlord,
and his rightful successors.^4
Thus in his treaty with Alaksandu, vassal ruler of the western
Anatolian state Wilusa, Muwattalli states:

You, Alaksandu, (must) benevolently protect My Majesty.

And later protect my son and grandson, to thefirst and

second generation. And as I, My Majesty, protected you,

Alaksandu, in good will because of the word of your father,

and came to your aid, and killed your enemy for you, later

in the future my sons and my grandsons will certainly

protect your descendants for you, to thefirst and second

generation. If some enemy arises for you, I will not

abandon you, just as I have not now abandoned you. I will

kill your enemy for you.^5

This provision emphasises a definitive feature of the treaties: they
were agreements concluded not between two states but between
two persons. This meant that a new treaty had to be drawn up every
time a new Great King or a new vassal ruler ascended his kingdom’s
throne.

ALL THE KING’S HORSES AND ALL THE KING’S MEN 179