Tarḫuntaradu

Tarḫuntaradu (Luwian: "worshiper/gift of Tarḫunt") was king of Arzawa during the first half of the 14th century BC.

Name

The name Tarḫuntaradu consists of two elements Tarḫunta + radu. Tarḫunta was the Anatolian storm god written in Akkadian cuneiform as ^dU.

In earlier literature, the name ^{m d}U-ra-du, read as Dadaradu or Daddaradu, or Dattaradu. The deity ^dU was the same as Tarḫunt, which became the modern reading. The name was also rendered as Tarkundaradu. The same was true to the city Tarhuntassa previously read as Dadassa.

History

Military campaign

Under his rule, the Luwian kingdom of Arzawa centered on Apasa (Ephesus) managed to penetrate far into the territory of the Hittite Empire ruled by Tudhaliya III (c. 1380 BC), then weakened by invasions of the Kaška peoples. Tarhuntaradu occupied areas in the "Lower Land" (Lycaonia), and succeeded in penetrating as far as the Hittite city of Tuwanuwa.

Ultimately, the Hittites would defeat Arzawa under Suppiluliuma I (c. 1350 BC). By the end of the reign of Suppiluliuma I, Uhha-Ziti ruled Arzawa (c. 1320 BC). He rebelled and Arzawa was divided into lesser vassal states under Mursili II.

Relations with Egypt

He negotiated with, and wed one of his daughters to, the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III, who acknowledged him as "Great King" - a title usually given to the Hittite ruler.

Theory

Relations with Crete

Achterberg et al. posit the Phaistos disc to be a letter sent by Tarhuntaradu to King Nestor concerning land ownership and in praise of the latter.

Literature

Susanne Heinhold-Krahmer: Tarḫundaradu, Tarḫun(n)aradu. In: Michael P. Streck (ed.): Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Archäologie ["Real lexicon of Assyriology and Near Eastern Archeology"]. Vol. 13, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/Boston 2011–2013, ISBN 978-3-11-030715-3, pp. 459–460.