Copyright © 2023, Tony Smith
As Beckman has written (2000), it is currently impossible to produces an absolute chronology for Hittite monarchs. However, we can assemble a working hypothesis based on the evidence available: surviving tablets from the Hittites’ own archives and those of nearby Near Eastern powers; monumental stone inscriptions from Anatolia, Egypt, Syria and Mesopotamia; and written statements on other objects, such as the bronze swords and tablet found at Hattusa.
What follows is the list of Hittite kings devised by Bryce (2005). I have included alongside it the points at which it differs from an alternative regnal list published by Beckman (2000). Where the two differ — and this is primarily in the Middle Kingdom period — Bryce’s timeline is on the left, Beckman’s on the right. The differences are subtle and open to scholarly debate; only further discoveries of written material, and revised translations and interpretations of existing tablets and inscriptions will steer us toward the true North of Hittite chronology.
Age of Bronze favours the Bryce timeline on the basis that both are equally valid readings, but we can only select one as our ‘working hypothesis’. As I say, future discoveries and re-interpretations may — undoubtedly will — change the reading presented here. Whether in favour Bryce or Beckman, we cannot say.
For further events in the history of the Hittite Empire and its contemporaries, please see the Timelines section.
| Year | Monarch | Relationship to Predecessor | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1650 | Hattusili I | Grandson of Labarna (Bryce) Nephew of Labarna (Beckmann) |
||||
| 1645 | ||||||
| 1640 | ||||||
| 1635 | ||||||
| 1630 | ||||||
| 1625 | ||||||
| 1620 | Mursili I | Grandson and adopted son of Hattusili | ||||
| 1615 | ||||||
| 1610 | ||||||
| 1605 | ||||||
| 1595 | ||||||
| 1590 | Hantili I | Brother-in-law of Mursili | ||||
| 1585 | ||||||
| 1580 | ||||||
| 1575 | ||||||
| 1570 | ||||||
| 1565 | ||||||
| 1560 | Zidanta I Ammuna Huzziya |
Son-in-law of Hantili Son of Zidanta Brother of Ammuna’s daughter-in-law (Bryce); son of Ammuna? (Beckhman) |
||||
| 1555 | ||||||
| 1550 | ||||||
| 1545 | ||||||
| 1540 | ||||||
| 1535 | ||||||
| 1530 | ||||||
| 1525 | Telepinu | Brother-in-law of Huzziya | ||||
| 1520 | ||||||
| 1515 | ||||||
| 1510 | ||||||
| 1505 | ||||||
| 1500 | Alluwanna Tahurwalli Hantili II Zidanta II Huzziya II Muwatalli I |
Bryce Son-in-law of Telepinu Interloper Son of Alluwanna? Son of Hantili Son of Zidanta? Interloper |
Tahurwalli Alluwanna Hantili II Zidanta II Huzziya II Muwatalli I |
Beckmann Unknown Son-in-law of Telepinu? Son of Alluwanna Unknown Son of Zidanta? Unknown |
||
| 1495 | ||||||
| 1490 | ||||||
| 1485 | ||||||
| 1480 | ||||||
| 1475 | ||||||
| 1470 | ||||||
| 1465 | ||||||
| 1460 | ||||||
| 1455 | ||||||
| 1450 | ||||||
| 1445 | ||||||
| 1440 | ||||||
| 1435 | ||||||
| 1430 | ||||||
| 1425 | ||||||
| 1420 | ||||||
| 1415 | ||||||
| 1410 | ||||||
| 1405 | ||||||
| 1400 | Tudhaliya I/II Arnuwanda I Hatusili II? Tudhaliya III |
Bryce Grandson of Huzziya II? Son-in-law, adopted son of Tudhaliya Son of Arnuwanda? Son of Hatusili? |
Tudhaliya I Arnuwanda I Tudhaliya II Tudhaliya III |
Beckmann Son of Huzziya Son-in-law, adopted son of Tudhaliya Son of Arnuwanda Son of Tudhaliya II |
||
| 1395 | ||||||
| 1390 | ||||||
| 1385 | ||||||
| 1380 | ||||||
| 1375 | ||||||
| 1370 | ||||||
| 1365 | ||||||
| 1360 | ||||||
| 1355 | ||||||
| 1350 | Suppiluliuma I |
Bryce Son of Tudhaliya III |
Suppiluliuma I |
Beckmann Son of Tudhaliya III |
||
| 1345 | ||||||
| 1340 | ||||||
| 1335 | ||||||
| 1330 | ||||||
| 1322 | Arnuwanda II | Son of Suppiluliuma | ||||
| 1321 | Mursili II | Brother of Arnuwanda | ||||
| 1315 | ||||||
| 1310 | ||||||
| 1305 | ||||||
| 1300 | ||||||
| 1295 | Muwattalli II | Son of Mursili | ||||
| 1290 | ||||||
| 1285 | ||||||
| 1280 | ||||||
| 1275 | ||||||
| 1272 | Uhri-Teshub | Son of Muwattalli | ||||
| 1267 | Hattusili III | Uncle of Uhri-Teshub; brother of Muwattalli | ||||
| 1260 | ||||||
| 1255 | ||||||
| 1250 | ||||||
| 1245 | ||||||
| 1240 | ||||||
| 1237 | Tudhaliya IV | Son of Hattusili | Kurunta Uhri-Teshub |
Son of Muwattalli, King of Tarhuntassa |
||
| 1230 | ||||||
| 1225 | ||||||
| 1220 | ||||||
| 1215 | ||||||
| 1210 | ||||||
| 1209 | Arnuwanda III | Son of Tudhaliya | ||||
| 1207 | Suppiluliuma II | Brother of Arnuwands | ||||
| 1200 | ||||||
| 1195 | ||||||
At this point, Hattusa is abandoned by its royalty and the Hittite Empire is no more. Many miles from the coast, this city seems unlikely to have fallen prey to the ‘Peoples of the Sea’, pace the friezes of Ramesses III at Medinet Habbu (if ‘Khatte’ is to be read as ‘Hatti’ — see Cline 2015). However, some diasater, human or environmental, caused the nobles of Hatti to leave their home.
Copyright © 2023, Tony Smith
