Hattusili, the Hittite Prince Who Stole an Empire

A lively and accessible biography detailing the life and reign of one of the most powerful rulers of the ancient Near East.

This gripping biography documents the life and reign of Hattusili, one of the most famous and well-documented Hittite rulers. Hattusili ruled over the ancient kingdom of Anatolia (modern Turkey) during the 2nd millennium BC and was a political rival and, at the same time, treaty-partner of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses the Great. Trevor Bryce offers a chronological account of Hattusili, charting the rise of the Bronze Age Hittite prince from a sickly childhood to become – by ruthless ambition, an illegal coup and a civil war – the most powerful ruler of the ancient Near East.

Incorporating the most up-to-date archaeological material, including the archive of clay tablets and new information about the astonishingly small size of the Hittite capital Hattusa, Bryce provides the reader with a detailed examination of Hattusili’s policies and military strategies. Alongside these historical accounts, Bryce weaves in imaginative reconstructions of pivotal moments in the ruler’s life, giving you a complete picture of Hattusili’s remarkable military skills and impressive political prowess.