The youngest of four sons, Hattusilis (Hattusili) doesn't expect to take the throne. In fact he's not expected to live.
Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure
Weak and sickly as a child. Hattusilis credits the Queen of Heaven Goddess Ishtar (Inanna) for saving his life. He's a devout worshipper of Ishtar for the rest of his days.
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Hattusili is born the last of four children to the Hittite king Mursili II and queen Gassulawiya. To the surprise of everyone including himself, Hattusili grows out of his youthful ailments into a strong, healthy man.
Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure
His father, Mursili II, is crowned at Tarhuntassa, a region south of the former Hittite capital, Hattusa. The capital was moved to Tarhunassa by Mursili's father, but the exact reason isn't known.
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It could be political, to be closer to Kadesh, or religious, to promote a new storm god. His death notice states he received an omen. Mursili II relocates the Hittite capital to Hattusa.
Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure
After a reign of 25 - 27 years, Mursili II passes into the Dark Earth. His exact date of death is disputed. His eldest son Muwatalli II, brother of Hattusili, succeeds him. His other two older sons are viceroys of Hittite regions.
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Due to ongoing conflicts with rabble-rousing Kaskians, King Muwatalli forms a vassal state in the north, and calls it Hakpis. The purpose of the Hittite territory is to contain the Kaska.
Muwatalli gives the lands to his youngest brother, Hattusili, to govern. After an initial show of support, such as reinforcing two nearby towns with watch towers, Muwatalli goes back to Hattusa and leaves Hattusili to his own devices.
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The new governor of Hakpis rises to the challenge. Hattusili has inherited his father's diplomatic skills. Either by force or friendship he defeats hostilities and secures his holdings. He succeeds in repopulating much of the northern territory with Hittite allies and citizens.
Meanwhile, conflict erupts between Hittites and Egyptians. The Hittites, led by Muwatalli and Egyptian forces of Ramesses II clash at the city of Kadesh in 1274 BCE. At the border between Hittite and Egyptian lands, the prosperous trade town of Kadesh is hotly contested.
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It's currently in Hittite lands because the former Pharoah, Ramesses' father Seti I, preferred to focus on domestic policy. Seti and Ramesses are also harried by seafaring tribal groups on the coasts of Egypt and holdings.
When Ramesses II (r. 1279 - 1213 BCE) takes the throne, Ramesses upsets all former agreements. He focuses on pushing the Hittites out of Kadesh.
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At Kadesh the Hittite forces arrive strategically sooner than expected. Hittite spies infiltrate top Egyptian ranks and tell them the Hittites are twenty miles further away than they are.
The Hittites take them by surprise. Ramesses hardly has time to gird his loins before the attack. The fighting is ferocious.
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Hattusili commands the Hittites as a military general under his older brother the King. Both Hittites and Egyptians make ample use horses and war chariots. Depending on source, up to 10,000 chariots are involved in the Battle of Kadesh, a Bronze Age world record.
Finally, surrounded by Hittites, Ramesses II barely makes his escape with some members of his guard. He returns to Egypt to declare his resounding victory and has several steles and relief carvings created in commemoration.
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Meanwhile, the Hittites declare their victory and stay at the site to rebuild, or head home. On the way back from the fighting, General Hattusili stops off in the town of Lawazantiya in the Hittite / Hurrian region Kizzuwatna. At a temple to the Goddess Ishtar he gives gratitude and reverence.
He's about to leave when his eye is caught by a young woman lighting candles. He wants to talk to her but doesn't move. Perhaps she feels him staring, for she turns around. For a moment she meets his gaze. Then she is gone.
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Who is she? A priestess of Ishtar, to be sure, from her demeanor. Who is her family? Who is her father? Who cares?
Her name is Puduhepa, daughter of the head priest of the cult of the great goddess Shaushka. Shauska is the Hurrian equivalent the Goddess Ishtar, patron of Hattusili. Puduhelpa's mother is Hurrian, her father a Hittite high priest.
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He has a vision of goddess Ishtar. She tells him he will find happiness with Puduhepa as his wife, and she with him as husband. That's all the incentive he needs.
When he departs Lawazantiya, it's with Puduhepa and the blessing of her family. She's young, excited about her future, perhaps in awe such a powerful man would desire her as a wife. She knows the many responsibilities of her position, besides producing an heir, and intends to fulfill them.
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By the time they arrive at Hattusa she's in love. They whisper and giggle like teenagers. She marries Hattusili and returns with him to the occasionally-peaceful Kingdom of Hakpis. Although Hattusili has several concubines, he leaves them all for Puduhepa.
Hattuslili becomes King of Hakpis, and Hakpis is declared a kingdom, due his suppression of numerous uprisings in the north when his brother moves the Hittite capital. After Muwatalli goes into the Dark Earth in c. 1272 BCE, his son Musilli II takes the throne as King.
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Again rebellions break out. Musilli is the son of a concubine and not a true wife. Still, Hattusili sticks by him to honor the wishes of his brother. Finally, Musilli decides to take the Hakpis Kingdom and other northern Hittite lands for his own holdings. That does it.
Hattusili incites a rebellion overthrows Musilli, banishes him to Syria and takes the throne. At his side is Puduhepa as queen or tawananna.
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No one argues. Hattusili has proven his capabilities. He's a strong leader with significant influence. He respects the priests and houses of the Gods.
Hattusili and Puduhepa have three children, the eldest of which, Tudhaliya IV, will succeed his father to the Hittite throne. Both Hattusili and his Queen are skilled in diplomacy. Puduhepa and the Egyptian Queen, Nefertari, exchange gifts and letters.
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Hattusili corresponds with Ramesses II. With the encouragement of Nefertari and Puduhepa, a cordial relationship develops between the two alpha powers.
It leads to the world's first peace treaty in c. 1258-9 BCE. This maintains genial relations with Egypt until the end of the Hittite Empire in c. 1190 BCE.
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By then, both Hattusili and wife Puduhepa have passed into the Dark Earth. Puduhelpa outlives Hattusili and departs the world at the age of 90 in 1203 BCE.
Meanwhile, she arranges marriages for her daughters with the Egyptian Pharaoh, organizes the thousands of Hittite deities and undertakes her functions as Goddess Queen or Queen Mother. Under her guidance Tudhaliya IV becomes a strong, reverent and much beloved king.
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In a time of prolonged drought, he builds thirteen dams to provide water. One still survives today. The drought, an onslaught of earthquakes, inner revolts and attacks by seafaring and barbarian tribes bring the Hittite Empire to an apocalyptic end c. 1187 BCE.
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