|
The Hittite Empire emerged in central Anatolia
from fairly humble agricultural beginnings in the
2nd millennium B.C. By 1340 B.C., however, they
rose to become the dominant power in
Mesopotamia. The expansion and consolidation
of the empire saw its greatest expression under
King Suppiluliumas I (c. 1380-1346 B.C.), who
oversaw the establishment of a firm Hittite
foothold in Syria. This was hotly contested
territory, and while the Egyptian behemoth had
swept aside most competition, they met
extremely fierce opposition from the Hittites.
This struggle for domination over Syria
continued into the reign of Muwatallis (c. 1320-
1294 B.C.), culminating in the famous battle of
Kadesh in 1299 B.C. Although Ramses II claimed
a great victory, the result was in fact probably
more ambiguous. The Egyptians were at a
disadvantage in terms or provisioning, and in
terms of the great arms race of the time over a
great new invention: iron. In any case, the
Egyptians took considerable pains to placate
local groups, setting up socioeconomic and
matrimonial alliances with the Hittites and the
lands they now occupied. Although we know
comparatively little about Hittite civilization, it is
perhaps significant that these shadowy
populations were such a fierce threat to what
was then the world's greatest civilization that
even Ramses the Great found it more beneficial
to be their ally rather than their foe.
The worship of the fertile female, goddesses of
nurturing and abundance, dates to the very dawn
of human culture. Whether called Astarte, Isis, or
Venus, this most essential of deities represents
something eternal in human existence. Centuries
ago, this abstract clay figure, sold outside some
temple complex, was offered as a votive to win
the favor of the goddess. We know little about
the pilgrim who made this gift to the gods,
though we can guess what he or she asked of
the goddess: a life of health, wealth and
happiness. Here, Astarte holds here hand
outwards, as if invoking the gods above. She has
circular eyes and a long, beak-like nose. Her
hair flows along the sides of her face and over
her shoulders, covering parts of the necklaces
that adorn her upper torso. As we hold this
powerful little figure in our hands today, we
realize that the essential values of human nature
have changed little over time.
- (SF.114)
|
