Šuppiluliuma II facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Suppiluliuma II
A carving of Suppiluliuma II found in Hattusa
Title	King of the Hittites
Predecessor	Arnuwanda III
Parent(s)	Tudhaliya IV

Chamber 2 at Hattusa, built by King Suppiluliuma II. It has important carvings about his rule.

Suppiluliuma II was the last known king of the Hittite Empire. He was the son of King Tudḫaliya IV. He ruled from about 1207 to 1178 BC. During his time, Tukulti-Ninurta I was king of the Middle Assyrian Empire.

Life as a Hittite King

The First Naval Battle

In 1210 BC, King Suppiluliuma II led his ships against the people of Cyprus. His fleet won this battle. This is thought to be the first recorded naval battle in history. Some historians believe that ships from Ugarit helped the Hittites win this and two more battles against Cyprus.

Messages Carved in Stone

We know about Suppiluliuma II from two special carvings. These carvings are called inscriptions. They are written in a language called Hieroglyphic Luwian. These inscriptions tell us about his wars. He fought against a former vassal state called Tarhuntassa. A vassal state is a smaller country that is controlled by a more powerful one. He also fought against Alasiya, which was in Cyprus.

One carving is at the bottom of Nisantepe in the Upper City of Hattusa. Hattusa was the capital city of the Hittite Empire. The other carving is in a place called Chamber 2. This chamber was a water storage area for Hattusa.

Troubles in the Empire

The carvings in Chamber 2 are very important for history. They show that the Hittite Empire had big problems during Suppiluliuma's rule. The carvings say that he attacked and took over the city of Tarhuntassa. This city was once a Hittite city. It had even been the capital of the empire for a short time under King Muwatalli II.

The Mysterious Sea Peoples

Around this time, a group known as the Sea Peoples started moving along the Mediterranean coast. They came from the Aegean Sea. They traveled all the way to a place called Canaan. They even created a new state called Philistia. On their way, they took over Cilicia and Cyprus from the Hittites. This cut off important trade routes for the Hittite Empire.

Records from Ugarit show that the danger came from the west. The Hittite king asked Ugarit for help. He sent a message saying:

• The enemy is coming against us. There are too many of them.
• We need all the help we can get. Please send it to me.

The End of an Empire

Suppiluliuma II was likely the king who left the capital city of Hattusa. This event led to the end of the powerful Hittite Empire. Some historical records say that what happened to Suppiluliuma II is unknown. Some say he simply "vanished." Other sources claim he was killed when Hattusa was attacked in 1190 BC.

After the Hittite kingdom fell, the Kaskians might have taken control of the area. Hattusa itself was destroyed by fire. The city was not lived in again for about 500 years. Later, a group called the Phrygians built a fortress there.

A ruler named Kuzi-Teshub later called himself "Great King." He was a direct descendant of an earlier famous king, Šuppiluliuma I.

See also

• History of the Hittites
• Late Bronze Age collapse