A History Of Hittite Literacy

The first comprehensive overview of the development of literacy, script usage, and literature in Hittite Anatolia (1650-1200 BC).

Hittite is the earliest attested Indo-European language and was the language of a state which flourished in Asia Minor in the second millennium BC. This exciting and accessible introductory course, which can be used in both trimester and semester systems, offers in ten lessons a comprehensive introduction to the grammar of the Hittite language with ample exercises both in transliteration and in cuneiform. It includes a separate section of paradigms, a grammatical index, as well as a list of every cuneiform sign used in the book. A full glossary can be found at the back. The book has been designed so that the cuneiform is not essential and can be left out of any course if so desired. The introduction provides the necessary cultural and historical background, with suggestions for further reading, and explains the principles of the cuneiform writing system.

*Includes pictures *Includes excerpts from Hittite annals about their culture and battles *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "Whoever after me becomes king resettles Hattusas, let the Stormgod of the Sky strike him!" - A Hittite inscription found at the capital city of Hattusa The pages of world history textbooks contain a litany of "lost" empires and civilizations, but usually, upon further review, it is revealed that these so called lost empires are often just lesser known cultures that had a less apparent impact on history than other more well-known civilizations. When one scours the pages of history for a civilization that was inexplicably lost, but had a great impact during its time, very few candidates can be found, but the Hittites are a notable example. In fact, the Hittites are an ancient people who remain somewhat enigmatic, and perhaps little known to most people, but their influence on the ancient Near East is undeniable. From high on their capital of Hattusa in central Anatolia, the Hittites were able to conquer and control a kingdom that roughly comprised the area of the modern nation-states of Turkey, Syria, and parts of Iraq and Lebanon through a combination of brute military force and shrewd diplomatic machinations. Compared to some of their contemporaries - including the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians - the Hittites were somewhat distant both culturally and geographically. The Hittites were an Indo-European speaking in an ocean of Afro-Asiatic and Semitic groups, their homeland was to the north of Mesopotamia, and it contained no major river like the Nile, Tigris, or Euphrates Rivers. The Hittite empire was also far less enduring than its neighbors, as it only existed from about 1800-1200 BCE (van de Mieroop 2007, 156), which was considerably shorter than most of the other major kingdoms of the Near East. With that said, the influence of the Hittites on the politics, economy, and overall situation of the ancient Near East cannot be understated; the Hittites were a force to be reckoned with while they existed. The sources used to reconstruct Hittite history and chronology are many and varied, and since the Hittites were a literate people who developed a fairly sophisticated corpus of literature, ancient Hittite archives can be used to reconstruct events. Unfortunately, the Hittites were not keen about dating their sources, so most of the dates are dependent on ancient Egyptian sources (Macqueen 2003, 8). The Egyptian sources also provide excellent details on events that either the Hittites refused to mention in their own texts, have not been discovered yet, or have been lost to the ages. Of course, modern archaeology has also helped to fill in the knowledge about Hittite civilization, especially in regards to palace and religious life in the ancient capital of Hattusa. Based on all of these sources, as well as studies by eminent modern scholars in the field, it's possible to examine who the Hittites were, their influence on the ancient Near East, and the eventual collapse of their empire. The Hittites: The History of the Most Prominent Empire of the Ancient Near East traces the history and legacy of the Hittites across several centuries. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the history of the Hittites like never before, in no time at all.

Reproduction of the original: The Hittites by A. H. Sayce

Translations from the original texts are a particular feature of the book. Thus on many issues the Hittites and their contemporaries are allowed to speak to the modern reader for themselves."--BOOK JACKET.