Podcasts · The History of Egypt Podcast

223: Ramesses & Hattusili Best Friends Forever

5 Dec 2025 · 35 min

Egyptian-Hittite Diplomacy. In the aftermath of the Treaty, Ramesses II and Hattusili III got down to business establishing their brotherhood. From prospective summits in Canaan, to fabulous gift-exchanges by Nefertari and a prince, the Egyptian and Hittite courts negotiated their new bonds. Alas, things weren't always rosy, and the issue of Urhi-Teshub caused great friction between the two Kings. Finally, we meet the man who shuttled back-and-forth between these kingdoms, delivering the goods: the Egyptian royal messenger Netjerwymes aka Pirikhnawa gets a look in...

Music: Luke Chaos.

Select Bibliography:

Beckman, G. (1999). Hittite Diplomatic Texts (2nd ed.). Society of Biblical Literature.

Bryce, T. (2003). Letters of the Great Kings of the Ancient Near East: The Royal Correspondence of the Late Bronze Age. Routledge. https://ia802908.us.archive.org/14/items/LettersOfTheGreatKingsOfTheAncientNearEastTrevorBryce2003/Letters%20of%20the%20Great%20Kings%20of%20the%20Ancient%20Near%20East%20-%20Trevor%20Bryce%202003.pdf

Edel, E. (1994). Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz aus Boghazköi in babylonischer und hethitischer Sprache I: Umschriften und Übersetzungen. Westdeutscher Verlag.

Franzmeier, H. (2024). Netjerwymes alias Parekhnu in Piramesses. In A. Cooke, N. Nielsen, & G. Godenho (Eds.), Landscapes: Studies in Honour of Steven Snape (pp. 91--98). Abercromby Press.

Liverani, M. (1990). Prestige and Interest: International Relations in the Ancient Near East ca. 1600-1100 B.C. Sargon.

Warburton, D. (2003). Love and War in the Late Bronze Age: Egypt and Hatti. In R. Matthews & C. Roemer (Eds.), Ancient Perspectives on Egypt (pp. 75--100). UCL Press.

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