whom Tudhaliya’s father Hattusili had overthrown. Tudhaliya and
Kurunta were cousins, and had become particularly close friends
during Hattusili’s reign–despite Hattusili’s seizure of the throne
from Kurunta’s brother. This we learn from the text of a bronze
tablet, found in 1986 quite by accident under a pavement just
outside the Sphinx Gate of the royal capital.^2
The text is that of a treaty which Tudhaliya as king drew up with
Kurunta. The treaty tells us that Muwattalli had assigned this
second son of his, while still a child, to the care of his brother
Hattusili in Hakpis, where Hattusili had been appointed as local
king. Muwattalli may have acted in this way to keep Kurunta safe
from intra-family disputes in the royal court. A close relationship
developed between Kurunta and Hattusili’s family, and Kurunta
apparently remained loyal to his uncle during the latter’s war with
Urhi-Teshub. Hattusili subsequently rewarded his loyalty by
appointing him ruler of Tarhuntassa, formerly Muwattalli’s royal
seat and still enjoying a prestigious status after Hattusa once again
became the royal capital.
And now Kurunta’s allegiance to Hattusili’s successor was
confirmed in the bronze tablet treaty–which contained a number
of special concessions granted to Kurunta additional to those
granted by Hattusili in an earlier treaty with him. These
concessions were intended as a further acknowledgement of his
loyalty, and/or to ensure that it continued. Here was one family
member on whom Tudhaliya could safely rely. Or could he?
That brings us to a mystery. During excavations conducted late
last century in Hattusa, three seal impressions came to light bearing
the inscription‘Kurunta, Great King’. What were they doing there?
What makes the mystery all the greater is that no Hittite ruler, no
matter how exalted his status, would use the title‘Great King’
unless he were the ruler of the entire Hittite world. That at least is
the standard view, and even though the name Kurunta was
previously known from other texts, there is no indication in any of
these that he was ever supreme overlord of the Hittite world.
So how do we explain these seals?
One explanation suggested in the past was that for a time
Kurunta did become the Great King in Hattusa, breaking his
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