The Historical Prologue of the Hittite Vassal Treaties: An Inquiry Into the Concepts of Hittite Interstate LawThe so-called "Historical Prologue" section in the Ancient Near Eastern treaties is characteristic of "vassal treaties" and documents pertinent to political subordination. It is known so far mainly from Hittite documents, where it serves to present a set of legal arguments, justifying the imposition of obligations on the subordinate party, and depriving that party of the ability to contest the validity or legality of the subordination. As such, it constitutes a potentially rich source of legal conceptions and rules pertaining to the interstate law of the period, and particularly to the law of the treaty of the Ancient Near East - a source whose potential was hitherto unfortunately ignored due to a misinterpretation of this section's role in these documents. Taking as its starting point the premise that the function of this section was juridical and that it was addressed to the divine judges, this study attempts to unfold the legal considerations that underlie the wording of some 20 examples of the "historical prologue".--Dust jacket. |
Contents
THE APPROACH TO | 19 |
A PRELIMINARY CATEGORIZATION OF THE HITTITE | 43 |
SOME BASIC | 131 |
Copyright | |
36 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
Abiradda accusation Akkadian Akkadian version Alakšandu Aleppo argument Ari-Teššub Artatama Arzawa assertion Aziru Barga Beckman Bentešina campaign Carchemish Chapter claim conquered conquest declaration discussion document edict Egypt Egyptian fact father favors Follow-up Treaties grant Halab Hattušili historical prologue Hittite king Houwink ten Cate Hurrian king Išuwa justify King of Hatti kingship Kizzuwatna Klengel Kupanta-Kurunta Kurunta Kuwaliya land of Amurru land of Hatti later lines loyalty Manapa-Tarhunta Mašhuiluwa Mira Mittani Mittanian Mukiš Muršili Muwattalli Niqmaddu Niqmaddu II Niqmepa Niya Nuhašše oath obligation overlord promises Qadeš Qatna Ramesses II reference regard revolt Šarrupši Šattiwaza Šattiwaza treaty Šeha-River slave statement status StBoT StBoT Beiheft stipulatory section subordinate king subordinate party subordination treaty Šunaššura treaty Šuppiluliuma Šuttarna suzerain suzerainty Syria Tarḥuntašša Telipinu territory Teššub Tette throne treaty CTH treaty drawn Tudhaliya Tudhaliya IV Tušratta Ugarit Ulmi-Teššub vassal country vassal king vassal treaties Wiluša