recites a letter from the pharaoh to the Hittite king, having
committed every detail of it to memory.^1 His words are carefully
checked by one of the king’s scribal staff against the tablet on which
the actual letter is written, also in Akkadian. This is to ensure that the
recited version of the letter corresponds with the written version,
down to the last word. If there are discrepancies, the emissary might
not only lose his job, but also his head. In important diplomatic
correspondence between two Great Kings, there must be absolutely
no possibility of misunderstanding or errors in translation. Good
relations between the kingdoms very largely depended on getting
everything right in the transmission of communications between
their overlords.
The pharaoh’s letter begins with all the usual formalities –
greetings and blessings upon the king and all his family and all his
children and all his livestock and all his subjects etc. etc. This is a
necessary diplomatic preliminary before the envoy gets to the nitty-
gritty of the letter. With the exception of one small fragment found
in Egypt, all the surviving communications between the Hittite and
Egyptian courts during the reigns of Hattusili III and Ramesses II
have been found in the archives of the Hittite capital. Often in
fragmentary form, these include the letters sent by Ramesses and
other members of his family to Hattusili and other members ofhis
family, particularly his wife Puduhepa. Indeed, Puduhepa and
Ramesses wrote directly to each other, and Ramesses often sent her
copies of letters whose originals were addressed to her husband.
The letters were written in the years before and after 1259 BC. This
was the year of the famous peace treaty between the two kings.
Among other things, the letters discussed arrangements for a
marriage between Ramesses and one of Hattusili’s daughters. There
was also talk of a possible visit by Hattusili to Egypt, though this
never eventuated.
Despite the formal peace between the two kings, the letters they
exchanged were not always cordial. Let’s sit in on one of the royal
audiences. After the initial pleasantries have been dealt with and
the real business begins, the Great King of Hatti listens carefully as
his Royal Brother’s words are translated and read out to him. Some
of them are clearly not to his liking, and he scowls as he glances at
226 WARRIORS OF ANATOLIA