The Boundaries of Hatti and Hittite Border Policy

Abstract

During the Late Bronze Age, Anatolia was dominated by the kingdom of the Hittites, whose capital Hattusa was the focal point of the region encompassed by the Halys (modern KlZll Irmak) river the Marassantiya of Hittite times. This region is designated in maps as the Land of Hatti, and commonly referred to as the Hittite homeland, to distinguish it from other parts of Anatolia where Hittite influence was exercised more indirectly through a network of vassal rulers. But while the Hittite homeland may be thought of essentially as the region lying within the Halys basin, the extent of the territory over which the Hittite king actually exercised direct authority varied quite markedly from one reign to another. This was due in large measure to problems of defence. The whole region is landlocked, has few naturally defensible positions, and the boundary formed by the easily fordable Halys river is some hundreds of kilometres in extent. The vulnerability of the region is further made clear by a consideration of the hostile and potentially hostile forces which were in striking distance of it. The Pontic zone to the north was inhabited by the Kaska tribes, a loose confederation of mountain kingdoms which posed a constant threat to Hittite territory,! invading it several times and on occasions causing widespread devastation throughout the land.2 To the southeast lay the Hurrians, who invaded the eastern frontiers of Hatti at least as early as the reign of Hattusili I (ca. 1650-20 RC.E.),3 and continued to threaten Hittite interests both in Anatolia and Syria until the conquests of Suppiluliuma in the 14th century. To the southwest lay the Arzawa lands a group of countries which in the New Kingdom became vassal states of the Hittites, but were unreliable and frequently rebellious, ready to exploit any period of Hittite weakness to break their allegiance, establish alliances with foreign powers, and march against the Hittite homeland. In view of such constant threats, we can readily understand that one of the most pressing problems confronting the Hittite kings was the security of the Land of Hatti itself and the protection of its frontiers. This they attempted to achieve by defining in a number of their treaties with vassal and protectorate rulers the borders of the homeland, by binding the local rulers to respect and in some cases to help defend homeland terri-