The Hittites or the Hittite civilization represents one of the peoples who lived in antiquity.
Although little known, the Hittite civilization was one of the greatest in antiquity, alongside the Egyptians. They are mentioned several times in the Bible (Old Testament) and in the work “Odyssey ” by Homer.
Key Characteristics of the Hittites
Origin
Coming from the Caucasus region, the Hittites represent an Indo-European people who lived in a region near the Dead Sea during the period 1600 BC. to 1200 BC, when they were finally dominated by the Assyrians, as they had greater power and advanced military technology.
Geographical Location
The Hittite empire was located on the Anatolian peninsula (present-day Turkey, Syria and Lebanon). The capital of the Hittite empire was Hattusa, located in Central Asia. At the end of the empire, Hattusa was invaded, looted and burned.
Society
The Hittite empire represented one of the great civilizations of humanity, which were ruled by a sovereign king. For them, the king was considered a divine entity and when he died, he became a god. Both slaves and women had some freedom.
Religion
Known as “the religion of a thousand gods”, the religion of the Hittites was based on Polytheism, that is, the belief in various deities, of which they were mainly related to the elements of nature.
Economy
The main economic activities of the Hittites were agriculture, mining and trade. They were pioneers in the uses of iron, presenting advanced metallurgy techniques for the time.
Culture and Art
Undoubtedly, the Hittite empire prospered with the presence of several walled city-states that presented an elaborate architecture (temples, palaces, dwellings, etc.).
Much of the Hittite sculptures were related to animals, which protected the gates of cities.
Influenced by Babylonian culture, Hittite art was associated with various religious rituals, with crafts being one of the important activities of this civilization.
When we talk about Hittite culture, it is also important to highlight the cuneiform writing found on several clay plates. They wrote on a variety of topics, from religion, literature and history.
In addition to cuneiform writing, plates were found with a pictographic writing, that is, based on figures. It is worth noting that the language of the Hittites, the oldest Indo-European language, gave rise to many others in Europe and Asia.
Battle of Kadesh
The Battle of Kadesh was fought around the year 1274 BC. between the Egyptians, led by Ramses II, and the Hittites, led by King Muwatali.
It began because of the Egyptian eagerness to conquer territories, however, it had the victory of the Hittites. Although some historians believe that there was no winner, after this battle a peace treaty was signed between the peoples, possibly the first international peace treaty.
The battle gets its name as it took place near the city of Kadesh (present-day Syria).
Mesopotamia
Remember that Mesopotamia was a place where the first civilizations in the world emerged, more precisely in the Fertile Crescent region, that is, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
In addition to them, other peoples who inhabited the region of Mesopotamia were:the Assyrians, Sumerians and Akkadians.
Learn more about the topic :
- Antiquity
- People of Mesopotamia
- Mesopotamian Civilization
- Mesopotamian Art