Hittite Cuneiform Tablets and the Historical Basis of the Trojan War
Cuneiform records from the Hittite Empire, unearthed in Hattusa at Bogazköy in present-day Turkey, include administrative documents dating back to the 13th century BC. Some researchers propose that these archives lend credence to the historical foundation of Homer's Iliad. They document confrontations with the Ahhiyawa, recognized as Mycenaean Greeks, and refer to Wilusa, which is associated with Troy. The Tawagalawa Letter highlights a conflict over Wilusa, hinting at the origins of the famed war. King Alaksandu of Wilusa is mentioned in treaties with Hittite monarchs Mursili II and Muwatali, possibly connecting to Paris Alexander, while the war leader Piyama-Radu has been likened to Priam. Nonetheless, debates persist regarding their identities, and the records suggest ongoing Greek raids rather than a singular siege, indicating that the Iliad may reflect a mythologized account of border tensions.
Key facts
- Hittite cuneiform tablets from Hattusa, found at Bogazköy, Turkey, document 13th-century BC Anatolian politics.
- The Ahhiyawa are identified by most scholars as Mycenaean Greeks.
- Wilusa and Taruisa are Hittite names corresponding to Ilios and Troia.
- The Tawagalawa Letter mentions a conflict between Hittites and Ahhiyawa over Wilusa.
- King Alaksandu of Wilusa had treaties with Hittite kings Mursili II and Muwatali.
- Piyama-Radu was a war leader active in western Anatolia, possibly linked to Priam.
- Hittite records show Greek raids in Anatolia from c. 1400 BC through the Greek Dark Ages.
- The letter referencing Wilusa conflict uses a general term and states it was resolved amicably.
- Hittite language was deciphered in 1915 by Bedřich Hrozný.
- The Treaty of Kadesh, c. 1250 BC, is a Hittite document from the supposed era of the Trojan War.
Entities
Artists
- Homer
- Paris Alexander
- Helen of Troy
- Menelaus
- Priam
- Hector
- Heracles
- Giuseppe Angeli
- Jules Lefebvre
- Johann Georg Trautmann
- H.G. Wells
- Alaksandu
- Mursili II
- Muwatali
- Piyama-Radu
- Attarsiya
- Bedřich Hrozný
Institutions
- Hittite Empire
- Istanbul Archaeology Museum
- Beaux-Arts de Paris
- Wikimedia Commons
- Flickr
Locations
- Hattusa
- Bogazköy
- Turkey
- Anatolia
- Wilusa
- Troy
- Sparta
- Cilicia
- Hisarlik
- France