Egyptian Text: Egyptian and Hittite Peace Treaty

Egyptian Text: Egyptian and Hittite Peace Treaty

Year 21, first month of the second season, twenty-first day, under the majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt. . . . Son of Re: Ramses . . . given life, forever and ever, beloved of Amon-Re-Harakhte, Ptah-South-of-His-Wall, lord of "Life-of-the-Two-Lands," Mut, mistress of Ishru, and Khonsu-Neferhotep; shining upon the Horus-throne of the living, like his father, Harakhte, forever and ever. . . . 

The treaty which the great chief of Kheta,* Khetasar, the valiant, the son of Merasar, the great chief of Kheta, the valiant, the grandson, of Seplel, [the great chief of Kheta, the val]iant, made, upon a silver tablet . . . the good treaty of peace and of brotherhood, setting peace [between them], forever.

Now, at the beginning, since eternity, the relations of the great ruler of Egypt with the great chief of Kheta were [such] that the god prevented hostilities between them, by treaty. Whereas, in the time of Metella, the great chief of Kheta, my brother, he fought w[ith Ramses II], the great ruler of Egypt, yet afterward, beginning with this day, behold, Khetasar, the great chief of Kheta, is [in] a treaty-relation for establishing the relations which the Re made, and which Sutekh made, for the land of Egypt, with the land of Kheta, in order not to permit hostilities to arise between them, forever.

Behold . . . Khetasar, the great chief of Kheta, is in treaty relation with . . . the great ruler of Egypt, beginning with this day, in order to bring about good peace and good brotherhood between us forever, while he is in brotherhood with me, he is in peace with me; and I am in brotherhood with him, and I am in peace with him, forever. The children of the children of the great chief of Kheta shall be in brotherhood and peace with the children of the children of Ramses . . .--, the great ruler of Egypt, being in our relations of brotherhood and our relations [of peace], that the [land of Egypt] may be with the land of Kheta in peace and brotherhood like ourselves, forever.

There shall be no hostilities between them, forever. The great chief of Kheta shall not pass over into the land of Egypt, forever, to take anything therefrom. Ramses-Meriamon, the great ruler of Egypt, shall not pass over into the land of Kheta, to take anything] therefrom, forever. . . .

If another enemy come against the lands of . . . the great ruler of Egypt, and he shall send to the great chief of Kheta, saying; "Come with me as reinforcement against him," the great chief of Kheta shall [come], and the great chief of Kheta shall slay his enemy. But if it be not the desire of the great chief of Kheta to come, he shall send his infantry and his chariotry, and shall slay his enemy.

Or if Ramses . . ., be provoked against [delinquent] subjects, when they have committed some other fault against him, and he come to slay them, then the great chief of Kheta shall act with the lord of Egypt. . . .

If another en[emy come] against the great chief of Kheta, [and he shall send] to the great chief [sic!] [of Egypt], . . . [[for reinforcements] then he] shall come to him as reinforcement, to slay his enemy. . . .

[If any great man of the land of Egypt shall flee and shall come to] the great chief of Kheta, from either a town [or] . . . of the lands of . . . the great ruler of Egypt, and they shall come to the great chief of Kheta, then the great chief of Kheta shall not receive them, [but] the great chief of Kheta shall cause them to be brought to . . . the great ruler of Egypt. . . .

Likewise if a man flee from the land of Kheta, be it one, be it two, [or] be it three, and they shall come to . . . the great ruler of Egypt, [and he will] seize [upon them, and let him cause] that they be brought to the great chief of Kheta; and the great chief of Kheta shall not set up their crime against them; let not his house be injured, nor his wives, nor his children, let him not be killed, and let no injury be done to his ears, to his eyes, to his mouth, nor to his feet. Let not any crime be set up against him.

*the Hittites

SOURCE Ancient Records of Egypt: Historical Documents from the Earliest Times to the Persian Conquest, Volume 3, ed. and trans. J. H. Breasted (London: Histories and Mysteries of Man, 1988), 166-175.