Married before first sight. Kings of ancient Egypt, especially in the New Kingdom, often welcomed brides from foreign lands. In regnal year 34 (1259 BCE) Ramesses received such a princess from Hatti. Sent by her father Hattusili and mother Puduhepa, the (anonymous) princess came to Egypt and took up the rank of King’s Great Wife. Today, she is known by her Egyptian name, MAAT-HOR-NEFERURA “She Who Sees Horus, the Perfection of Ra.” This enigmatic woman sits at the centre of a fascinating letter archive and commemorative text. Ramesses celebrated his new bride in grand style…
Music by Luke Chaos.
The Offer
One day, in 1259 BCE (Year 34) a bustle arose in Egypt’s northern capital. The great city of Pi-Ramesses, on the eastern edge of the Delta, was welcoming a foreign embassy. They had come far, across many lands, travelling by foot and cart, until they reached Egypt. Now, at last, the months long journey was ending. The party arrived at the banks of the Nile, boarded lavish barges, and crossed the waters to the heart of Pi-Ramesses.
In the palace complex, servants hurried about, preparing food, drink, and all good things to welcome the foreigners. Soldiers marched to their posts, and the outer courtyards, to form an honour guard. Musicians assembled and prepared their instruments. The palace bustled with excited activity.
At last, the embassy disembarked their riverboats and approached the palace gates. The towering doors, of gilded cedar wood, swung back, and the outsiders came in.
What a sight they were.
The ambassadors were richly dressed, in colourful robes that extended to their ankles.[1] Their hair was shaved at the forehead, the rest hanging down over the back of the scalp, and thin braids on either side. Some of the men wore beards, rich and full. In their rear, escort guards bore conical helmets, and clutched shields in a distinctive “figure-eight” shape. Their outfits were exotic, but familiar to the Egyptians. These men were Hittites.
The foreigners proceeded, slowly, across the hallway. Ahead of them, at the fair end of the court, stood a raise dais with a gilded canopy atop. There, beneath glittering inlays and curtains of high-quality linen, a golden throne held the object of their journey. Seated, in ceremonial splendour was pharaoh Wasmuriya Satepnaria, Riamessessa Maiamana, better known today as Ramesses II. Now in his mid-fifties, the King of Egypt was tall for the age, about 1.7m (5.6”).[2] He had a slender physique, though still strong from years of training and martial endeavour. His nose was prominent, with a distinctive hook. His hair, thinning now, was greying (though possibly dyed with henna). Atop his brow, the King sported his magnificent Double crown, the Red and White of Egypt’s Two Lands.
Ramesses leaned forward and welcomed his guests warmly. Indeed, they were like family (in a sense) for they came on behalf of Ramesses’ diplomatic brother, the Great King Hattusili, and the Great Queen Puduhepa. For more than a decade, the two monarchs had been united in “peace and brotherhood,” having finalised an everlasting treaty, in Ramesses’ twenty-first year. That treaty still held, and the two courts were on friendly terms, for the most part.
Now, things were going to change.
==
The Hittites bowed deeply before Egypt’s pharaoh, and they presented gifts to their host.[3] From ornamental chests, the ambassadors drew forth vessels of gold and (even more valuable) silver.[4] They brought horses, both male and female, from the highlands of Anatolia and the lowlands of Syria. They even delivered chariots, perhaps the heavy three-man war-carts that the Egyptians had once faced in battle. It was a rich bounty indeed.
Ramesses acknowledged the gift with good will. But he was anxious to hear the message these ambassadors would deliver. As the customary greetings wound down, Ramesses enquired. What news from Hattusili?
==
One of the ambassadors stepped forward. He was dressed to the nines, in all the finery that Hatti could offer. His name was Tili-Teshub, the First Envoy of the Great King.[5] Tili-Teshub was well-known to Ramesses. He had been a lead negotiator back in the days of the Treaty (some thirteen years earlier). Now, a bit older and hopefully wiser, Tili-Teshub came with important news.
The ambassador cleared his throat, and spoke his master’s message:
“‘The Great King of the Land of Hatti, Hattusili, speaks to the Great King of the Land of Egypt (Ramesses II), etc etc)…. I (Hattusili) am your brother; and I will now give my daughter to you… Let (your) people come (to Hatti) to pour fine oil on my daughter’s head, and let her be brought into the house of the Great King… of Egypt…’”[6]
Ramesses’ heart swelled in satisfaction. As he later described it, “His Person (the King) thrilled with joy… when he heard of this marvellous event…”[7] Thirteen years after the great treaty, Hattusili formally acknowledged the greatness of Egypt’s pharaoh, by offering his daughter in marriage.
Ramesses was getting a Hittite bride.
The Arrangements
Pharaoh and his advisors had prepared for this moment. Despite his joy, Ramesses played it cool. He turned to his official representative, a man named Khay, to speak on his behalf.[8] Khay, the “First Royal Herald” (wHm nswt tpy) announced to the foreigners:
“The Great King of the Land of Egypt (speaks to) his brother, the Great King of the Land of Hatti (etc)… behold, our good brotherhood and our good peace (stands) before the sun god and the weather god… (these gods) will give (the Hittite daughter) to the house of the King (of Egypt), and she will be Queen in the Land of Egypt, and they will cause (pharaoh’s)’s heart to rejoice…”[9]
Having received the offer, Ramesses formally accepted. Once again, a foreign princess would come to Egypt. This might be the first time in living memory that such a thing had occurred. From the surviving records, the last time a pharaoh received a bride from distant lands was way back in the days of Amunhotep III. By 1259 BCE, that was more than a century past. This was going to be an unusual, and celebratory occasion.
==
The King was glad to welcome such a bride. But even as the agreements were made, Ramesses couldn’t resist the opportunity to needle his brother slightly. In another letter (E4), pharaoh informed Hattusili of other offers he’d received. He said:
“Behold, now the King of …Karduniash and the King of …Hanigalbat have written to me saying, ‘The daughter of the King of the Land of Hatti will be sent to Egypt, but you should put my daughter in that place!’ Thus did those Kings write to me…”[10]
In other words, pharaoh had received marriage proposals from Babylon (Karduniash) and the small kingdom leftover from Mitanni (now called Hanigalbat). The rulers of those lands were still, officially, Great Kings, and their daughters would be prestigious brides. Clearly, Ramesses couldn’t help showing his status and reminding his brother that he had options.
Incidentally, at least one of these women (from Babylon) apparently did come to Egypt.[11]
Ramesses reassured Hattusili, the Hittite princess would take priority, saying (in the same letter) “Thus did those Kings write to me. But I do not intend to grant the Queenship that the King of …[Babylon] desires for his daughter. To put one daughter in place of another is not right!”[12]
So, Hattusili made his offer, and Ramesses accepted (even prioritising the Hittites over other Great Kingdoms).
Now, it was time to talk costs.
The Dowry
Hattusili was not just giving a princess. He also promised a sizable dowry. Perhaps stung by Ramesses’ comment about the Kings of Babylon and Mitanni, Hattusili promised great wealth to accompany his daughter. In other letters (E21/E22), we hear about his promises:[13]
“I will give the daughter a dowry; her dowry is greater than that of the daughter of the Land of Babylonia, and the Land of Zulabi, and I counted everything that the bride will bring.”
It sounds like Hattusili had status anxiety. Clearly, the King of Babylon had got to Ramesses first. So, Hattusili outdid his rival in wealth. Alas, we don’t have the details of the dowry itself, but presumably it included gold, silver, and high-quality products from Hatti and its vassals.
There were also people. In one letter (E24), Queen Puduhepa told Ramesses that she was sending “people from the Kaska-land” as part of her daughter’s entourage.[14] Now, the Kaska-people were tribes’ folk from northern Anatolia.[15] They were a constant thorn in Hittite expansionism, and there had been serious conflicts in the past. Apparently, Puduhepa was trying to offload some troublesome captives and prevent them returning home. Ramesses did not consider that an imposition; he accepted it happily, and a message says ““(they) are truly welcome! Let my brother’s (Hattusili) troops go with them, to me, to remove the fear from them.” So, the dowry was not only material wealth, but human resources as well.
So far, it seemed like Ramesses was getting an excellent detail. A handsome dowry (exceeding any he’d received before), a bunch of captives to work in his estates, and the prestige of counting the daughters of Great Kings among his women. I imagine he was quite happy with the benefits accompanying this princess bride.
Status Request
Well, I say princess, but Queen Puduhepa had some conditions on that. If she was giving up her daughter, to a foreign land (likely never to see her again), there were terms.
Firstly, the princess (whose name never appears in the letters) was not going to Egypt as some concubine or lesser wife. Puduhepa wanted her to have status. In one letter (E10) Ramesses responds to his Hittite “sister” and promises: “the sun god has caused all the things that (Puduhepa) desires to be carried out… the sun god and the weather god will give (the Hittite princess) to the House of the King (of Egypt), for she is destined to rule [LUGAL ŠEŠ-ki] the land of Egypt [KUR Mi-is-ri-i]…”[16]
In other words, Ramesses was going to make this girl a Hmt-nswt-wrt, a “King’s Great Wife.” That might be a first. Of all the foreign women that came to Egypt as royal brides, none (that I’ve found) held the rank of Great Wife.[17] So, this girl was going to enjoy a prestigious place in Egyptian society, beyond any before.
Now, it was time to make the marriage happen.
That proved more difficult than expected.
The Delay
Ramesses accepted the initial offers and agreed to the terms. Subsequently, he told his distant family (E16) “Let (my) people come to pour fine oil on the daughter’s head and let her be brought into the House of the Great King… of the Land of Egypt.”[18]
The messages went forth, and there was nothing to do but wait.
And wait.
Having made their offer (and promised much wealth) the Hittites took a surprisingly long time to send the princess. It must have been quite some time, because eventually Ramesses started complaining about the delay.[19] In one letter, we hear that pharaoh had asked his counterparts: “[You] wrote me (saying) ‘[I will give] a daughter to you.’ [But you have withheld her]… Why have you not now given her to me?’”
The query must have aggravated the Hittites. Particularly Queen Puduhepa, who responded to this demand with some frustration. Scolding Ramesses for his impatience, Puduhepa wrote the following: “[Indeed, I have withheld my daughter]. You will not disapprove of it; you will accept it. I have been unable to give her to you until now… as you know, the treasury of the Land of Hattusa… is a burnt-out house… I have no grain in my lands… The daughter who was given to (Ramesses) as a wife should have some support, so that it may also be beneficial to them. That would be a noble act!”[20]
Ah, there we go. Apparently, there were economic challenges in Hatti, undermining the royals’ ability to provide their daughter’s dowry. The mention of grain shortages is notable, because it does appear to be a recurring feature of Egyptian-Hittite diplomacy through this period. We’ll come back to that in just a few years of Ramesses’ reign. At any rate, Puduhepa pleaded poverty as a reason for her delay. But she had a barb of her own to throw at the pharaoh. Speaking on the lack of wealth, the Queen said “as you know, the treasury of the Land of Hattusa… is a burnt-out house; what remained, Urhi-Teshub gave to the Great Deity. Since Urhi-Teshub is there (in Egypt), ask him whether it is true or not!”
That damned Urhi-Teshub. Once again, the fugitive Ruler of Hatti (whose throne Hattusili had usurped) was a point of dispute between the kingdoms. We covered this affair in episode 223 (“Best Friends Forever”). Basically, Hattusili had overthrown Urhi-Teshub, who had subsequently fled to Syria and then Egypt. Ramesses had insisted he wasn’t in the Nile Valley (though did eventually admit that); and the dispute had come perilously close to war. Now, years after the fact, Puduhepa was quite happy to throw that whole Urhi-Teshub situation at Ramesses, as she delayed sending her daughter.
I love stuff like this. If someone wrote to you like that today, you’d think it was terribly passive aggressive. Three thousand years later, though, it’s fun. A nice reminder that these legendary rulers were not dissimilar to us. Sometimes generous, other times petty, always entertaining.
Anyway…
==
The delay dragged on. At one point, Ramesses must have offended Puduhepa, because she sort of blew up at him. The Queen declared, “What you, my brother, wrote to me: ‘You should not delay the daughter any further!’ It is not acceptable to me… Does my brother not possess anything at all? Only if the Son of the Sun God, the Son of the Weather God, and the Sea (itself) have nothing do you have nothing. My brother, you would enrich yourself at my expense! That is not worthy of renown or rulership.”[21]
Ouch. Puduhepa minced no words. But it was a fair point. The wealth and power of Egypt were renowned. Ramesses’ impatience implied distrust and was something of an insult to his diplomatic siblings. But Puduhepa had her dignity, and carrying on, she asserted it firmly:[22] “My brother has [not accepted] in his own mind my status as a sister, and my dignity… When in future, conditions are favourable, (the daughter and her party) will come… If I had sent the daughter to my brother [precipitously], or if I had not given you (Ramesses) the gifts appropriate for my brother… what then would my brother have said?”
Again… fair enough. Excited Ramesses may have been, but there were conditions to be met before the daughter could set forth. This impatience did no favours to anyone.
Building on that dignity and status, Puduhepa also reminded Ramesses of her experience. As a Great Queen of Hatti, she had managed a royal household (including children and marriages) before. This would be to Ramesses’ benefit. Rounding out her response, the Queen said:
“…When the Sun Goddess of Arinna, the Weather God… and Shaushga made (me) Queen, (they) joined me with your brother (Hattusili) and I produced sons and daughters, so that the people of Hatti-land often speak of my skill and capacity… My brother (Ramesses) knows this… May [the gods] endow the daughter whom I will give to my brother with the same skill and capacity…”[23]
Despite her frustration, Puduhepa knew how to sandwich anger in positivity. As she closed the letter, the Queen of Hatti turned away from admonishments and started looking to the future.
“…you, my brother (Ramesses) wrote to me saying, ‘When you give the daughter to me, then write to me about the matters that may be on your mind, and which you may wish to write to me about.’ This speech suits my brother (much better). Because the queen (I) will come to the Land of Amurru, and I will be close to you. From (Amurru), I will write to my brother about whatever matters are on (my) mind. You, my brother, will not disapprove of them… and as soon as the daughter comes into my brother’s bed, these matters of the Queen will be settled.”[24]
Well, Puduhepa was certainly the pragmatic type. But let’s not beat around the bush here, that was the goal of the whole affair. This princess (who, again, is entirely unnamed in all the correspondence) was going to Egypt to lay with the pharaoh. The union would bind the two households together, officially, as family. And if the gods were kind (and Ramesses a man), this daughter would soon produce children of her own. With that, the royal houses of Egypt and Hatti would be as one.
It was important to remember that, even as the delay lengthened.
The Departure
Finally, the day came. Word arrived in Pi-Ramesses that Queen Puduhepa, and her daughter, had set out from their capital. They were making their way to Amurru, travelling overland through Anatolia and Syria. That journey would take some weeks at least. But it was time for Ramesses to arrange an escort.
A cluster of letters describe this final phase of preparations. Hattusili (E27) asked Ramesses to “let your troops go to receive the herds… that I will give to my daughter…”[25] Later, Ramesses (L4) replied “…the troops of the Land of Egypt shall go out to meet the daughter. And the sky gods and the underworld gods will be witnesses.”[26] Lest Hattusili worry about any eleventh-hour cold feet, Ramesses reassured his distant brother that he was committed. The pharaoh said (L4) “As soon as they (my agents) pour oil on the daughter’s head in the Land of Hattusa, there is no turning back for me! But I will not speak the formula (in person) of pouring out the oil, but the one who speaks it will speak on my behalf, saying ‘Joined this daughter is, already, to the King.” Truly, I have sent good oil for the daughter…”
Pharaoh was committed, and he would prepare the way. Subsequently, the King sent word to his governors in Canaan. The garrison commanders, in places like the Beqa’a Valley,[27] would prepare troops for security and provisions for comfort.
Finally, to guarantee success, the King sent at least one Diplomat to meet the Hittites personally. His name was Huy, a military man, with titles like Deputy of Charioteers and “King’s Messenger in Foreign Lands” (that is, an envoy). On a stone stela, now in Berlin, Huy testified how he “returned from Hatti, bringing (back) its Chief Lady / Princess.”[28] Huy doesn’t give much detail, they rarely do. But it does tell us that Ramesses took a personal hand in the business. Rather than relying on distant governors, he despatched a trusted agent to oversee the trip.
All this kerfuffle passed in great excitement. Finally, the princess was on her way.
The Marriage Stela
The Hittite Marriage Stela: Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated, II, 86—96.
For Ramesses, the arrival of this foreign princess was a moment of great ceremony, and he immortalised it in text and art.[29] If you visit great temples like Karnak or Abu Simbel you can find hieroglyph texts (and even some images) that describe the Hittites coming. This “Marriage Stela” is a fun text.[30] It’s classic Ramesses, dramatic and overblown, but it does hint at his genuine excitement for the marriage.
The text opens with some Ramessid bombast. Setting the scene for his marriage, Ramesses describes the victories he had (supposedly) won over the Hittites. The Marriage Stela opens as follows: “Year 34, under the person of (Ramesses II)… Beginning of this splendid commemoration, for magnifying the strength of the Lord of the Sword… Exalting the valour, and boasting of the victory, the great and mysterious wonders that happened for the Lord of the Two Lands…
“His Person (Ramesses) had said, ‘As my father Atum-Ra… favours me… I shall vanquish the Hatti-land! They shall be overthrown… I shall make them retreat while fighting on the battlefield, and they will cease boasting in their land. For I know that my father Sutekh has decreed victory for me over every land… Then (Ramesses) readied his troops and chariots and thrust them against the Hatti-land. He conquered it entirely, on his own, in the presence of the entire army, so that he made for himself an everlasting name…”
I’ll give you three guesses what conflict that “conquering the Hittites single-handedly” is supposed to reference. Nearly thirty years after the Battle of Kadesh, Ramesses still looked back to his moment of valorous combat; and like countless pharaohs before, he boasted of overthrowing his enemies utterly. It’s the standard stuff of Egyptian kingship: the great warlord, born and blessed of the gods, vanquishes all threats and triumphs in glory.
With that essential boasting out of the way, Ramesses turns to the substance of the tale. How the Hittites came knocking, to offer him a bride:
“Now, after they (Hatti) had spent many years with their land perishing and lapsing into tumult, year by year… then the Great One of Hatti sent (messages), appeasing His Person (Ramesses)… (he said) ‘Let your hostility end, avert your wrath! May you permit us to breathe the breath of life! You are truly the son of Sutekh!…’
“The Great One of Hatti sent (these messages)… every year, but (Ramesses) paid no heed to them. Thus, when (the Hittites) saw their land in this wretched state… the Great One of Hatti spoke to his army and his high officials, saying ‘What a calamity! Our land is ruined… the sky sheds no rain upon us; every foreign land is hostile, fighting against us… Let us strip ourselves of our goods, with my eldest daughter at the head of them, and let us bring our gift to the Good God, so that he may grant us peace…’”
The ideological element is really strong here. Images of foreign submission are part-and-parcel of the Egyptian kingship and its traditions. Scholars don’t take them too seriously. That being said, there are details that line up with the letters from the Hittite archives. For example, we get references to food shortages in Hatti, just as Puduhepa had written; and this will show up again, in years-to-come. So, at least the part about hardship may have some basis in fact.
Similarly, Ramesses’ description of the bridal party is not terribly exaggerated. In the next section, the King writes: “Then, (the Great One of Hatti) caused his eldest daughter to be brought, with magnificent tribute before her: gold, silver, copper in abundance; slaves, teams of horses without limit; cattle, goats, sheep by the ten thousand; limitless were the products which they brought…
“One came to inform His Person, saying ‘they cover the roads with their going, the King’s Daughter of Hatti, together with all the grandees of the Hatti-land. They have traversed many remote mountains and difficult passes, and they have reached (Ramesses’) frontier [in Syria]. Let the army and the officials go forth to welcome them…’
Again, boasting aside, the narrative broadly agrees with the letters from the Hittite archive. Hattusili did promise a grand dowry; Puduhepa did send captives/slaves from Kaska land; the pharaoh had sent soldiers and agents to organise the bridal party’s journey through Canaan.
Sutekh’s Miracle
The next part is quite fun, for it dips into proper storytelling, with a little hint of Ramesses’ personality and a proper miracle for good measure. As the Egyptian troops and diplomats go forth, on their way to meet the Hittites, the pharaoh ponders the situation. Ramesses has concerns:
“His Person thrilled with joy, entering the palace happily when he heard of this marvellous event, (which had been) entirely unknown in Egypt (before)… (But) the King pondered in his heart, saying ‘How will they manage, those whom I have sent out, who go forth to Syria in these days of rain and snow, that happen in winter?’”
I love this detail, of Ramesses thinking through the logistics. For one thing, this is a rare mention of snow in an Egyptian text. Not something that Ramesses and co. dealt with too regularly, unless they were in Canaan for an unusually long campaign. You can imagine they’d find snow rather irritating, even a serious impediment to military manoeuvres. So, it’s understandable that Ramesses might consider snow (and rainstorms) a logistical problem. By the way, for those curious, the ancient Egyptian word for snow is srqw.[31]
I also like the sense of concern Ramesses shows. We don’t get that often either. You could almost imagine him in his palace, fretting about a situation over which he has no direct control. Hardly ideal for a Great King. So, Ramesses did the best thing he could. He prayed:
“Thus, (the King) offered a great offering to his father Sutekh, and petitioned him, saying ‘The sky is in your hands, the earth is under your feet, whatever happens is what you have commanded. May you not send rain, ice, or snow, until the marvel that you have decreed for me reaches (the King)…’”
Earlier in the text, Sutekh induced Hattusili to make the wedding offer. So, the “marvel” that the god decreed is the princess. Again, totally unnamed in all the records. But this chosen bride was on her way, and Ramesses sought safe passage.
Fortunately, Sutekh (lord of storms) was in a good mood. He would hold back his thunder (the xrw CtX, “Voice of Seth”).[32] And those travelling through Syria and Canaan would enjoy a pleasant trip:
“Then, his father Sutekh heeded all that he and said; and thus, the sky was calm, and summer days occurred in the winter season; the army and officials set forth with eager step, and hearts gladdened in joy… His Person’s troops, chariots, and officials formed an escort (for the Daughter of the Great One of Hatti, that was travelling towards Egypt); they mingled with the troops, chariots, and officials of Hatti… and all the people of the Hatti-land mingled with the Egyptians.”
The image of Egyptians and Hittites, once foes, now meeting in brotherhood, is a nice cap to the story. It reminds of those old newsreel films, from WW2, when soldiers of the UK, USA, and Soviet Union finally met, as they invaded the Third Reich. Were the bodyguards wary, as they looked across the field, at their old enemies? Were the diplomats chummy, and deferential to Queen Puduhepa and the princess? I would have loved to be a fly on the chariot rim at this great meeting.
Anyway…
The Princess Arrives
Sutech blessed the journey, the two parties met, and the Hittite princess said goodbye to her mother. Puduhepa and her daughter would never meet again. It was time for the Hittite princess to become an Egyptian queen.
And she did, in grand style.
Ramesses celebrated the arrival of his new bride. H
“Then, the daughter of the Great One of Hatti, who had arrived from travelling… was ushered in (to the palace) before (the King)… His Person beheld her as one beautiful of features, first among women; the (courtiers) honoured her as a goddess! Indeed, it was a great… event, a precious wonder, unknown and unheard of in spoken traditions; unparalleled in the writings of the ancestors; the daughter of the Great One of Hatti had arrived, travelling to Egypt… And she was beautiful in the heart of His Person, and he loved her more than anything…”
Wow. Apparently Ramesses was rather taken with his new bride. Described as fair-of-face (nfr-Hr), a lady without peer… the Hittite princess made quite the impression on her new royal husband.
By Ramesses’ standards, he and the princess were already married even before they met. Letters sent to the Hittite court state repeatedly that pharaoh would send someone to “anoint” the princess with oil; and from that moment on, she would be Queen in Egypt.[33] Furthermore, the ancient Egyptians didn’t really have a marriage “ceremony.” At least, not one that survives in the written record.[34] Instead, once a couple began living together, in a romantic context, they were considered “husband” and “wife.” It’s one of those situations where modern views, and language, don’t really translate to the ancient attitude. Point is, once she arrived, Ramesses considered this princess his wife.
Naturally, that was going to require some… rebranding.
“Her name was proclaimed as the King’s Wife, Ma’at-Hor-Neferura. Daughter of the Great One of Hatti, Daughter of the Great Queen of Hatti. She was installed in the palace, in the King’s Domain; she accompanied the Sovereign every day, her name being proclaimed in the land… (His Majesty gave to her) ample houses… servants from the South and the North.”
The princess’ new name was Maat-Hor-Neferura (MAa.t-1r-Nfrw-Ra), “She who beholds the Horus, the perfection of Ra.”[35] The “perfection of Ra” part refers to Horus, that is Ramesses. So, the King named his new bride something that praised himself. Typical.
The arrival was a moment of celebration, and a party for everyone:
“Then the troops, charioteers, and officials of the court… and the ordinary people, they drank together in joy… and the Hatti-land, such a powerful land, were as peasants (before His Person). Now, if a man or woman went forth to Syria, they could reach this land of Hatti without fear… because of the immense victories of His Person (Ramesses).”
The Marriage Stela ends with a dash of the ideology: Hatti submissive, pharaoh supreme. But it does reflect on the genuine benefit this marriage-alliance could bring. Now, there was no longer any reason for conflict between the two empires. So, folks travelling through Canaan or Syria could do so confidently. Of course, it was all thanks to Ramesses.
==
The Hittite Queen arrived, and Egypt celebrated. In Hatti too, there were glad tidings. Shortly after the union, Hattusili sent a messages to Ramesses:[36] “Say to my brother (Ramesses), we have made friends with each other… I am very happy about this… Behold, we used to make trouble for each other, but today we have beautiful peace and beautiful brotherhood… When the messengers brought me (Ramesses’) silver tablet, then on this day, the whole land of Egypt has turned back, and the whole land of Hatti has turned back (from fighting). Hattusili (E34), “Let a feast be held for the great gods and fill my friend’s drinking cup. Our two great lands have become one land. We two Great Kings have become one person, forever. The sun god and the gods of the land of Egypt, and the weather god and the gods of the Land of Hatti shall ensure that our beautiful peace and beautiful brotherhood will flourish.”
Finally, the day came. Ramesses and Ma’at-Hor-Neferura welcomed a child. Hattusili, now a grandfather, was overjoyed, writing to Ramesses:[37] (E35) “What emerges from the inscription you had brought: ‘A daughter was born to the king of the land of Egypt’—so says the inscription… (L6) “the gods have granted (the King or Queen) a wish and have given my brother (Ramesses) and my daughter, a princess, and I, the Great King, see in the daughter the working of divine fortune… I was happy over your daughter, and the lands of Hattusa were happy. The sky, the earth, the mountains, and the rivers were in joy, that the gods had given you happiness. As under the sky, my brother and my daughter each happened, the gods have given me the same joy. My brother, do not neglect your daughter!”
[1] Description based on H. M. Herget’s painting of Ramesses and the Hittite ambassadors. See https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/ancient-egypt-ramses-pharaoh-hittite-royal-wedding. The art, while fanciful, is based on motifs from Ramessid and New Kingdom temples (e.g. TT100 Rekhmire; images of Hittites from the Battle of Kadesh reliefs).. The costume and hair of the Hittites, the armour of the bodyguards, the presence of Ramesses’ pet lion, all match with known depictions.
[2] Hawass & Saleem, Scanning the Pharaohs, 161; earlier estimates put him at 1.72—1.73m, see Smith, The Royal Mummies, 61—62.
[3] Description based on Bogazkoy letter E9, in which Ramesses reports gifts sent by Hattusili. Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 100—105.
[4] Hittite silver vessels are particularly beautiful: see MMA 1989.281.10, 1989.281.11, and MFA 2004.2230.
[5] Hatti’s diplomats are named repeatedly in the Silver Treaty and the Bogazkoy archive. Tili-Teshub is particularly prominent. Beckman, Hittite Diplomatic Texts, 2nd edn, 130. Other names include Ramose (“Reamasia”), perhaps an expatriate Egyptian?
[6] Following adapted from Bogazkoy letters E5, and E17.
[7] From the “Marriage Stela” of Ramesses II. Kenneth Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated, II, 86—96; Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh, 364—365, fig. 12.6.
[8] Later Vizier. Attested on various monuments: KRITA III, 26—28; Davies, RITANC III, 27—28.
[9] Letter E9. Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 100—105.
[10] Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 93, 95.
[11] See Letter L1, in which Puduhepa complains about the status/treatment of said princess. Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 214—215.
[12] Letter E4. Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 93, 95.
[13] Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 140—143.
[14] Letter E24. Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 149.
[15] Mieroop, History of the Ancient Near East, 167—171.
[16] Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 108, 109; Bryce, Kingdom of the Hittites, 283, nn. 76, 77.
[17] See Troy, Patterns of Queenship,
[18] Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 133.
[19] Beckman, Hittite Diplomatic Texts, 125—129.
[20] Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 216—223; Beckman, Diplomatic Texts, 131—135.
[21] Beckman, Hittite Diplomatic Texts, 126—127.
[22] Beckman, Hittite Diplomatic Texts, 127—128.
[23] Beckman, Hittite Diplomatic Texts, 128.
[24] Beckman, Hittite Diplomatic Texts, 129.
[25] Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 154—157.
[26] Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 225, 227.
[27] Ramesses (E21) sent one message to Shuta, Governor of the city “Ramesses-Beloved-of-Amun-in-the-Land-of-Upe,” probably Kamidi el-Loz. Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 154—157.
[28] KRITA, III, 55; Davies, RITANC III, 70—71.
[29] Brand, Ultimate Pharaoh, 356—373; Fisher, M. M. (2013). A Diplomatic Marriage in the Ramesside Period: Maathorneferure, Daughter of the Great Ruler of Hatti. In B. J. Collins & P. Michalowski (Eds.), Beyond Hatti: A Tribute to Gary Beckman (pp. 75–119); Kitchen, Pharaoh Triumphant, 83—89, 110.
[30] Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated, II, 86—96; Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions: Notes & Comments, II, 146—159; Brand, Ultimate Pharaoh, 364—365, fig. 12.6.
[31] Lesko, Late Egyptian Dictionary, II, 59.
[32] Jung, C. (2007). “Rain in ancient Egypt: A linguistic approach,” in Wotzka, Bubenzer, Bollig, & Vogelsang (eds.), Aridity, change and conflict in Africa (p. 333, Table 1).
[33] Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 133, 225, 227.
[34] Wilfong, in Wilkinson (ed.) The Egyptian World, 208; Shaw and Nicholson, British Museum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, 170—171.
[35] Brand, Ultimate Pharaoh, 369.
[36] Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 162—167.
[37] Edel, Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz, 167, 229.
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