an important cult centre of the goddess Ishtar, and her protégé
thought it appropriate to pay his respects to her in the city. This
would renew her goodwill and support for him, before he
confronted the potentially dangerous situation awaiting him on
his return home. But while he was in Lawazantiya something
happened that was to change the course of his life, and indeed
was to play no small part in Hatti’s future. For in what appears to
have been a whirlwind romance, he met and married the daughter
of a priest of Ishtar. Her name was Puduhepa. Of course, we don’t
really know whether we have one of those‘love atfirst sight’
moments, or whether in fact the marriage had been pre-arranged
and was the reason for Hattusili’s visit to Lawazantiya on his
homeward journey. In any case, Puduhepa became her husband’s
main support for the rest of his life, and wielded great influence in
the kingdom for many years after his death.
Once back home, Hattusili promptly set about ridding the
land of its enemies and restoring his authority over Hakpis,
where his new bride was installed as queen. But the uprisings in
his kingdom left him in no doubt that there were many who
Figure 19.1 Puduhepa.
THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING 185