The Trojan War (26 page)

214 common practice in Late Bronze Age Egypt: Andrea Gnirs, “Military: An Overview,” in Redford, ed.,
Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt,
vol. 2, p. 401.

215 Shalmaneser I: Grayson, “Shalmaneser I,” in
Assyrian Rulers,
vol. 1, ll. 56–87, p. 184.

216 “I used to like to spare Trojans”:
Iliad
21.101–2.

217 Lycaon:
Iliad
21.34–53, 23.740–47.

218 the people of Apasa: On this episode, see Bryce,
Kingdom of the Hittites,
209–11; Akurgal,
Hattian and Hittite Civilizations,
82–83; Hawkins, “Tarkasnawa,” 24.

219 “Now shameful flight”:
Iliad
2.119–22.

220 well-known gripers: See the letter to the King of Mari from Bahdi-Addu in ARM 2 118 in Oppenheim,
Letters from Mesopotamia,
106.

221 softwood: The likeliest woods available around Troy are pine, laurel, juniper, heather-stems, and dried willow. Animal dung too might have been used as kindling.

222 “evil smelling smoke”: Balkan,
Letter of King Anum-Hirbi,
8, p. 16.

223 “bring much fever”:
Iliad
22.31.

224 Hittite and other ancient rituals: See, e.g., Richard H. Beal, “Assuring the Safety of the King During the Winter (KUB 5.4 + KUB 18.53 and KUB 5.3 + KUB 18.52),” in Hallo, ed.,
Context of Scripture,
vol. 1, 1.79, §ii. 1–4, p. 210.

225 “Lord of the Bow”: Maciej Popko,
Religions of Asia Minor,
trans. Iwona Zych (Warsaw: Academic Publications Dialog, 1995), 93.

226 “of the glorious bow”:
Iliad
15.55.

227 that the Storm God washed them away!:
CTH
7, obv. 10–18, in Gary Beckman, “The Siege of Ursu Text (CTH 7) and Old Hittite Historiography”
Journal of Cuneiform Studies
47 (1995): 25.

228 “What girl?”: Literally, “prize,”
Iliad
1.123.

229 “best of the Greeks”: Literally, “best of the Achaeans,” e.g.,
Iliad
1.244.

230 “youths of the Achaeans”:
Iliad
1.473.

231 Archaeology confirms: Shelmerdine, “Review of Aegean Prehistory VI,” 577–80 = 369–372.

232 at Thebes a sacrifice: Robin Hägg, “State and Religion in Mycenaean Greece,” in R. Laffineur and W. D. Niemeier, eds.,
Politeia: Society and State in the Aegean Bronze Age,
in
Aegaeum
12 (1995). 388.

233 Hittite music: Monika Schuol,
Hethitische Kultmusik: Eine Untersuchung der Instrumental-und Vokalmusik anhand hetitischer Ritualtexxte und von archaeologlogischen Zeugnissen,
Deutsches Archaeologisches Institut Orient-Abteilung, Orient-Archaeologie, Band 14 (Rahden/Westfalen, Germany: Verlag Marie Leidorf, 2004), 60.

234 Gilgamesh: E. A. Speiser, “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” in Pritchard,
Ancient Near Eastern Texts,
87; cf. M. L. West,
The East Face of Helicon
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997), 231–32.

235 Teshub: “The Song of Hedammu” and “The Song of Ulikummi,” in Hoffner,
Hittite Myths,
51–52, 60.

236 the Canaanite epic hero Kirta: Pardee, “Kirta Epic,” in Hallo, ed.,
Context of Scripture,
vol. 1, p. 333.

237 Egyptian tale of Wenamun: Miriam Lichtheim, “The Report of Wenamun,” in
Ancient Egyptian Literature,
vol. 2, p. 229.

238 Hattushilish I: Kuhrt,
Ancient Near East,
vol. 1, p. 238.

239 Tukulti-Ninurta: Grayson, “Tukulti-Ninurta I,” in
Assyrian Rulers,
vol. 1:1.1, 1–20, p. 233.

240 Abi-Milki: Moran,
Amarna Letters,
EA 147, p. 233.

241 governor of the Mesopotamian city of Nippur: Oppenheim, “The Court of the Kassite Kings [BE 17 24],” in
Letters from Mesopotamia,
116–17.

242 “fast runner”: See, e.g.,
Iliad
21.265.

243 companies of soldiers or rowers at Pylos: Ventris and Chadwick,
Documents in Mycenaean Greek,
183–94.

244 “Ranks wedged in ranks”:
Iliad
16.211–18.

245 Naramsin: Cooper,
Curse of Agade,
l. 86, p. 55.

246 Hattushilish III: Harry A. Hoffner Jr., “Apology of Hattusili III,” in Hallo, ed.,
Context of Scripture,
vol. 1, p. 200.

247 Merneptah: A. J. Spalinger,
War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom
(Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2005), 239.

248 Xerxes: Hdt. 7.12–19.

249 “Our cordage torn”:
Iliad
2.135.

250 “Now, for five months”: Shlomo Izre'el and Itamar Singer,
The General's Letter from Ugarit, A Linguistic and Historical Reevaluation of RS 20.33 (Ugaritica V, no. 20)
(Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University, 1990), 25.

251 “Fly, Grecians, fly”:
Iliad
2.141–42.

252 Tukulti-Ninurta: Grayson, “Tukulti-Ninurta I,” in
Assyrian Rulers,
vol. 1: l.i 21–36, p. 234.

253 “To one sole monarch”:
Iliad
2.205–6.

254 serious business to Bronze Age commanders: See, e.g., Sasson,
Military Establishments at Mari,
41.

255 “Whate'er our master craves”:
Iliad
2.232–38.

256 or even a traitor: For example, see Heimpel,
Letters to the King of Mari,
62–63.

257 fine Thracian vintages brought by ship to Agamemnon daily:
Iliad
9.71–72.

258 round-shouldered:
Odyssey
19.246.

259 the soldiers had leather shields:
Iliad
10.152.

260 the laces that made sandals fit comfortably to the foot:
Iliad
10.132.

261 axes made of dull bronze rather than sharp iron:
Iliad
23.118–19.

262 cleaned the camp of animal dung: Cf.
Odyssey
17.296–99.

263 swarms of flies:
Iliad
19.25.

264 fasted until dusk because they worked so hard: Cf.
Odyssey
18.369–70.

265 gainsaid Hector in the Trojan assembly, much to his annoyance:
Iliad
12.211–14.

266 kiss his hand:
Odyssey
24.398.

267 honor him like a god:
Iliad
10.32–33.

268 picking up the royal cloak when Odysseus dropped it:
Iliad
2.183–84.

269 “visitation of foreign dogs”:
Iliad
8.526–27.

270 “Have we not known thee, slave!”:
Iliad
2.248–51.

271 The Hittites knew the value of slapstick humor: Harry A. Hoffner Jr., “Daily Life Among the Hittites,” in Richard E. Averback, Mark W. Chavalas, David B. Weisberg,
Life and Culture in the Ancient Near East
(Bethesda, Md.: CDL Press, 2003), 112.

272 “Encouraged hence”:
Iliad
2.354–56.

273 “by peoples and groups”:
Iliad
2.362.

274 Shuppiluliuma I: Hoffner, “Deeds of Supiluliuma,” in Hallo, ed.,
Context of Scripture,
vol. 1, p. 190; cf. Bryce,
Kingdom of the Hittites,
192.

275 “Like some proud bull”:
Iliad
2.480–81.

276 hymns to the war-god: Schuol,
Hethitische Kultmusik,
207–8.

277 buried at home with their mothers: Calvert Watkins, “A Latin-Hittite Etymology,”
Language
45 (1969): 240–41.

278 “messengers of death”: Yadin,
Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands,
vol. 1, p. 8.

279 hit a target at 300–400 yards: Yadin,
Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands,
vol. 1, pp. 7–8.

280 a top slinger: Hoffmeier, “Military: Materiel,” in Redford, ed.,
Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt,
vol. 2, 406–12, 410.

281 “girl crazy”:
Iliad
3.39.

282 Yashmah-Addu and his older brother: André Parrot and Georges Dossin, eds.,
Archives royales de Mari,
vol. 1 (Paris: Impr. Nationale, 1955), 69.

283 Two kings could fight it out: On Hattushilish III (1267–1237
B.C.
), see Van den Hout, “Apology of Hattusili III,” in Hallo, ed.,
Context of Scripture,
vol. 1, p. 201; Harry A. Hoffner Jr., “A Hittite Analogue to the David and Goliath Contest of Champions?”
Catholic Biblical Quarterly
30 (1968): 220–25; W. K. Pritchett.
The Greek State at War,
part 4 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985): 15–21. Another king who may have fought a champion battle is the Mesopotamian Ishme-Dagan, although perhaps he merely led the army into a battle where the enemy leader was killed; Parrot and Dossin, eds.,
Archives royales de Mari,
69.

284 or two corporals: Richard H. Beal,
The Organisation of the Hittite Military
(Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitaetsverlag, 1992), 509–13.

285 Attarissiya: Beckman, “Indictment of Madduwatta,” in
Hittite Diplomatic Texts,
27§12, p. 156.

286 every king claimed to have a patron god: See various examples in Grayson,
Assyrian Rulers,
vol. 1, 206; Van den Hout, “Apology of Hattusili III,” in Hallo, ed.,
Context of Scripture,
vol. 1, pp. 200–1; Lichtheim, “The Kadesh Battle Inscriptions of Rameses II: The Poem,” in
Ancient Egyptian Literature,
vol. 2, p. 66; cf. West,
East Face of Helicon,
209.

287 Iron weapons existed in Bronze Age Anatolia: To be sure, Bronze weapons predominated, but the Hittites produced some iron daggers, knives, axes, spears, and lanceheads, so iron arrowheads are also likely. See J. O. Muhly, R. Maddin, T. Stech, and E. Özgen, “Iron in Anatolia and the Nature of the Hittite Iron Industry,”
Anatolian Studies
35 (1985): 67–84.

288 an ancient commentator suggested: Scholion on
Iliad
4.218–19.

289 honey: Ventris and Chadwick,
Documents in Mycenaean Greek,
e.g., KN 206, p. 310; cf. Tzedakis and Martlew, eds.,
Minoans and Mycenaeans,
266.

290 “No rest, no respite”:
Iliad
2.385–90.

291 forty kings: Grayson, “Tukulti-Ninurta I,” in
Assyrian Rulers,
vol. 1: 5.23–47, p. 244; 18.1–28, p. 266; 20.1–10, p. 268; 23.27–55, p. 272.

292 “fore-fighters”
(promachoi)
: See, e.g.,
Iliad
3.31, 4.354.

293 “the first men”: See, e.g.,
Iliad
5.536.

294 Tudhaliya IV: Itamar Singer, “Tudhaliya's Prayer to the Sun-Goddess of Arinna for Military Success (CTH 385.9),” in
Hittite Prayers,
108.

295 how thirsty warriors were:
Iliad
22.2.

296 mind over matter: See, e.g., the Old Babylonian poem, Joan Goodnick Westenholz, “Sargon, the Conquering Hero,” in
Legends of the Kings of Akkade: The Texts
(Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1997), 63, 65, 69.

297 “The great, the fierce Achilles”:
Iliad
4.512–13.

298 “How dear, O kings!”:
Iliad
7.327–30.

299 “Oh, take not, friends!”:
Iliad
7.400–3.