Episode 94 – Hittite 20 Hattusili the Peace Maker

This week the Hittite empire hits its high point, as we look at Hattusili III and Ramesses II’s so-called Eternal Treaty, the peace treaty which would help define the climate of the bronze age collapse. Additionally, we look at the various other peace deals that Hattusili is able to secure with his vassals, the Babylonians, and the Assyrians. Finally, the revolutionary queen Puduhepa is going to take the stage for a bit. We know less about this highly influential queen than we would like, but her role in governing the empire as her husband aged and sickened is clear, as is her role in a dramatic religious reform that will shake the very heavens above the Hittite empire.