1348 to 1345 BCE
Pharaoh Akhenaten and his family adoring the sun god Aten.
On month seven of the fifth year of his reign, Pharaoh Amenhotep IV declared that he would drop all the 5-fold customary titles of a pharaoh, and instead switch to just one new regnal name, Akhenaten, the Living Spirit of Aten. This marked the beginning of a whole new era for the Egyptian Kingdom, as Akhenaten swiftly proceeded to lift his patron deity, Aten the personification of the sun-disk, far above the other gods of Egypt, a deed that had not quite yet been done ever before. All state funds and incomes from temples were directed and given to Aten, and new monuments and shrines in his honor dotted Egypt. At the grand temple of Karnak massive new buildings for Aten were to be constructed. Needless to say, the worship of other deities was severely restricted and frowned upon, with Akhenaten urging his courtiers, priests and officers to embrace the supreme Sun.
In order to further underline his diversion from the old, Akhenaten decided to move the capital of his realm further north, where he could collect a court of new followers and likewise thinking people dedicated to Aten, away from the old priesthoods and their influences. Slightly over a month after his name change, Akhenaten arrived to this new city, Akhetaten, the Horizon of Aten, intending that he and his successors would rule from there from now on. A whole new style of art developed in the sacred city of Aten, as Akhenaten spent most of his time studying architecture and sponsoring arts, giving little focus to government, and even less to matters that had nothing to do with religion. Needless to further explain, a certain opposition to his drastic reforms was already gathering itself.
[Treasury drop to Wealthy, 50 % chance of stability hit next turn]
Burna-Buriaš the Kassite ruler of Babylon gave an edict on building new irrigation networks and canals in the old Sumerian core region, greatly revitalizing the trade and prosperity of a previously slightly ignored region, a noticeable shift in Kassite interest towards the south. While Babylonian engineers could indeed construct quite sophisticated canals, they lacked the knowledge and understanding of the penultimate problem behind the region’s decline in productivity; rise of salinity. Tablets regarding the granting of these lands to soldiers and veterans, mostly of Kassite stock, underline how Burna-Buriaš wished to use these lands to secure a better hold of Sumer and a source for future manpower. Another expensive program initiated by the King was the construction, or perhaps repair, of a Royal Road connecting the principal city and de facto capital of Dur-Kurigalzu to Sippar and further south to the realm’s most vital city; Babylon. Most of the work went seemingly to widening existing roads and constructing new caravan stops, watchtowers and employing more scribes.
[Treasury set to Average, Taxes and Trade have a 50 % chance of improving next turn]
But this seeming era of calm and development was broken in late 1345 when news from the Euphrates reached the Kasssite court. The island fortress of Anat, an important trade node controlling the river and a sanctuary to its namesake goddess, had been seized without a prior justification by the Assyrian armies. This immediately broke crucial caravan routes connecting Babylonia with Mitanni, resulting in a loss of income for Burna-Buriaš. And even more importantly, Aššur-uballiṭ was now in a dangerous position of influence over the kingdom, controlling all routes connecting it with Mitanni, the Canaan and by extension Egypt. What kind of a response this bold annexation and show of strength would result in remained to be seen.
[Trade for Babylon set at Low]
In the years preceding his short and surprising campaign on the Euphrates, Aššur-uballiṭ had focused n strengthening the restored independent religious identity of Assyrians. Sanctuaries, monuments and stelae dedicated to the great lord Ashur appeared in the plains and river valleys of northern Mesopotamia, marking a revival and restoration of Assyrian sovereignty. On the other hand, these also strengthened the status of the king and his family, as the names of Aššur-uballiṭ and his predecessors appeared on many of these objects, legitimatizing his rule as a divine will of Ashur.
[50 % chance of a stability boost next turn]
Tushratta of Mitanni, cornered between the resurgent Hittites and the newly created Assyrian power decided to try and increase his influence in the region. Mitannian armies marched on the land of Alshe, or Alzi as known to the Assyrians, enforcing a new tribute to be paid to Washukanni. This traditionally Hurrian tribal region had already been considered a tributary to Mitanni, but in the last years had attained more independence, mostly due to Assyrian-driven erosion of Mitanni strength in the region. Now that was seemingly changing. Another feat was accomplished a year later, as envoys from Ugarit travelled to Washukanni, offering a grand tribute that was to become a yearly practice, in return for protection by the Mitannian armies. Apparently the waning power of Egypt and the more domestic policies of Akhenaten had made the old rival of Mitanni change its mind. To further boost this new-found partnership, King Ammittamru I recommended his merchants and nobles to commence trading with the eastern power, greatly revitalizing trade in both Ugarit and the surrounding regions that were Mitannian vassals. Especially the city of Carchemish saw a rise in wealth just in a few years. It looked like fortunes were slowly changing for the devastated Mesopotamian power.
[Mitanni tribute income set to Mid, treasury rises to Wealthy next turn, Ugarit and Mitanni become trade partners]
However, not all of the vassals west of the Euphrates were happy about the change. Especially Mukish or the Amorite kingdom of Alalakh is unhappy, as Ugarit threatens the economic interests of his kingdom. Traditionally Alalakh, not Ugarit, had been the main gateway for Mitanni trade to the seas. Now, the better suited port of Ugarit would surely result in much of trade taking that route, resulting in a major loss of income for Mukish. News reached Washukanni about Hittite envoys travelling to Alalakh with gifts and offers that the King of Alalah certainly considered. Foreign encroachment to Mitannian sphere of influence, by Assyrians in the east and now by Hittites in the west was once again confirmed to be the gravest threat to Tushratta.
There remained another thorn to the side of Tushratta, which ever made his life unconformable in his palace. His brother Artatama, who continued to dispute his throne from exile, insisted on continuing his efforts. Tushratta was forced to expel priests, warriors and nobles from his court, including his own relatives, for mere suspicions of collaboration with Artatama’s camp. This elusive ‘King of Hurri’ as he liked to title himself, seemingly managed to garner support in the more tribal regions, and especially among the Hurrian population, citing his older age as a natural claim to the throne. Nevertheless, the relative successes in diplomacy by Tushratta did much to undermine Artatama’s efforts. If he wouldn’t find an ally within Mitanni, would he look outside?
The Hittites had recently managed to push back the Kaska people who had decades ago sacked and destroyed Hattusa, bringing the kingdom to brink of demise. But Tudhaliya II deduced that this warlike race wasn’t subjugated enough just yet, and ordered his son and most trusted general to marshal the Hittite troops and deal one more blow to the northern tribes. Thus Šuppiluliuma took the men of Hatti to the ancient sacred town of Nerikka, rebuilding it and making great sacrifices to the storm and sun gods. For this first time since the reign of Hantili of the Hittite old kingdom, the spring festival Puruli could be held at its original site. After this, Šuppiluliuma took the army further north, dealing a decisive strike at the Kaska and forcing upon them a heavy tribute, seizing many of their idols and other wealth and bringing it back to Hattusa.
[Kaska no longer hostile, tribute set to Mid]
The next objective of Šuppiluliuma was supposed to lie in the far west, beyond the Hapalla. But as he marched his troops west in 1345, news reached him from Hattusa. King Tudhaliya II had died and his son, Šuppiluliuma’s elder brother, had succeeded to the throne as Tudhaliya the third. But this wasn’t to the liking of Šuppiluliuma. He had restored his father’s realm, lead his armies, acted as his most loyal envoy and servant. And now the other prince, of lacking spirit and leadership, had taken the throne he considered rightfully his. Šuppiluliuma had the unwavering support of the army and almost all of its officers. Thus, he decided to turn back east and marched on Hattusa. Even before he reached the city, officers at the capital assassinated Tudhaliya III and Šuppiluliuma could take the now vacant throne. The Hittites now had their most capable King for centuries, that was without a doubt. His first degree as a King was the construction of new military roads connecting the most crucial regions of the Hittite realm, from Nerikka to Hattusa and from the frontier of Hapalla to the Upper Land. And one more, reaching from Hattusa to Kizzuwatna. The construction of these was to be a costly effort, but very likely to much reduce the time needed for a full mobilization of the Hittite levies, and in addition boost the realm’s still recovering economy.
[Tudhaliya II and III dead, long live King Šuppiluliuma, 50 % chance of improved trade or tax income next turn]
Untash-Napirisha, son of Humban-Numena, the ruler of Elam took great interest in developing and strengthening the status of the local pantheon, which had for considerable time been under considerable pressure and influence by the foreign gods of Babylonia. About three Babylonian leagues away from Susa he erected Dur Untash, the town of Untash. This was to be a holy city, for the priests and priestesses of Elam to devote their lives for appeasing the deities that ruled over their lands. The construction of this large ziggurat continued for most of the 1340s BCE. Untash-Napirisha even proceeded to underline his own divinity while engaging in this pious act, claiming to be the earthly vessel of Napir and consort of the Great Goddess of Liyan, Kiririsha. While these tablets were clearly written by his order, an opposing consensus was formed by a number of wealthy priests. Was the King really equal to the gods in this sense, or was he just their earthly son? After all, maternity was regarded as an especially sacred thing by the Elamites, and being a son of the Great Goddess could be regarded as an even higher honor.
[25 % chance of increased stability next turn]
Abdi-Ashirta of Amurru, at the head of his Amorite war bands, marched upon the coastal cities of Irdata and Arqata, considered a part of the kingdom of Byblos. Seizing the cities and sacking their treasuries, he paid for more bands of Habiru to join his ranks. Then, with bolstered arms and high confidence, Abdi-Ashirta marched on the fortress of Sumur, an important trading hub and Egyptian garrison under the protection of Rib-Hadda of Byblos. Stating that the city had been left defenseless and that the Pharaoh’s enemies could use this to their advantage and encroach further south to Canaan, Abdi-Ashirta seized control, garrisoning it with his own troops. The Egyptian commissioner Pahhanate couldn’t much more than protest at the sudden Amorite take-over of this vital border, though understanding the strength and precarious situation, he tried to avoid angering the warlord, instead simply reporting the events back to Egypt like they had happened. The successful campaigns of the years 1348-1345 had surely secured Abdi-Ashirta’s place at the head of the loose Amurru coalition.
[Tax set to Low, Treasury to Poor next turn]
In the southern Canaanite city of Ursalimmu, a brand new cult appeared. Most likely inspired to an extent by the Atenist monotheism that had taken root in Egypt, this new cult of Abdiirlil, supreme father god, was apparently created by a poor and young son of a local idol-maker. It remained to be seen if this was just a local spin-off of Atenism, a mere minor cult with marginal following or the beginnings of something bigger. What was the relation of this new deity and the patron deity of the city, Shalim, also remained somewhat unclear, though a relationship was very likely, at least in the mind of some followers. Ursalimmu was already home to many deities of obscure origin, as the king himself held in high honor the Hurrian Hebat.
Kukkunni the lord of Wilusa, rebuilding Truisa that had been devastated by earthquake just years before, wanted to show that his small and remote kingdom was on par with the mighty powers across the Seas. Thus he ordered that a royal palace, akin to the ones of Hittites and Egyptians, was to be built. Work began on a beautiful and vast palatial complex, which most notably included a botanical garden, a rarity copied from the Pharaoh. On top of that, the King managed to sway a number of the tribes inhabiting the grain-rich peninsula across his royal city to become his tributaries, extending protection of the Wilusan fleet and armies to them.
[Tribute set to Low]
King Hakkani of the Hayasa-Azzi federation decided to have a look at Hittite law codes, in hopes of better understanding why his father had been executed by Tudhaliya II when paying a visit to Hattusa. This royal order resulted in the slow adoption of parts of the Hittite law code, even though no written language existed in the mountainous and uncivilized lands Hakkani ruled over. But surely it was an improvement, even though the adaption of the law varied widely between regions, and despite of the ignorance of many of the later parts of the code by the tribesmen. Another, not necessarily as grand at least yet, development in the land of Hayasa-Azzi was the further adoption of iron-casting skill, a talent originating from the mountainous lands further east. Objects made of iron became an important trading commodity for the otherwise poor and resource-lacking land.
[50 % chance of trade increase next turn]
Ships of Alashiya set sail for west, travelling to the lands owned by the people known as Ahhiyawa, bringing with them many gifts and gems. But on the island of the Minu, they only found destruction. The palaces and cities, from Konoso to the others, all laid burnt and devastated a collapse that had happened only recently. Thus not too many new trade partners were found from there, and instead these envoys sailed north, arriving at the cities on the coast of Arzawa and even making their way to Truisa to greet the Lord of Wilusa at his new palace. And already the next year, many more ships departed in these directions, bringing with them the most prized commodity of Alashiya; copper.
[Trade with Ahhiyawa (Mycenaean colonies on Aegean islands), Arzawa and Wilusa]
