A Hittite tablet recounting the Trojan War?

Michele Bianconi, University of Oxford

1 April 2024

A newly found Hittite tablet shows the correspondence between an unidentified Hittite sovereign and an individual
named Pariyamuwa, presumably king of the city. The first line seems to refer to an attack by the sons of Attaršiya of
Ahhiyawa to the city of Taruiša/Troy, both known to us from other Hittite sources (e.g. CTH 147, the “Indictment of
Madduwatta”). The presence of Lycian (Luqqa/Lukka = Lycia) troops within the ranks of the Trojans is well attested
in the Iliad, but the most striking passage is at the end, where direct reference to songs about the fall of Wiluša/Ilion
is made. The apparently dactylic (spondaic) rhythm of the Luwian fragment is surely coincidental.

Keilfischurkunden aus Boghazköi 24.1

x+1
𒈠𒄴𒄩𒀭𒈠 𒌉𒈨𒌍 𒁹𒀜𒋻𒅆𒅀𒀸 𒇽𒆳𒌷𒄴𒄭𒅀𒉿𒀀
𒀀𒈾 𒆳𒌷𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 𒉺𒅕 𒉡 𒀭𒌓𒅆 𒌷𒁳𒊌𒋡𒊍
𒂟𒈨𒌍 𒌋𒄿𒅀𒉡𒌦 𒉡𒈬
5' 𒍣𒅅𒅗 𒋀𒅀 𒁹𒉺𒊑𒅀𒈬𒉿 𒌑𒌌 𒂕𒉺 𒄩𒀜𒊏𒌍
𒆪𒉿𒁉 𒁹𒀀𒆷𒀝𒊭𒀭𒁺𒍑 𒇽𒋻𒋼𒉡 𒂊𒌍𒍣 𒆪𒉿𒁉
𒆠𒉡𒈾
𒀀𒆷𒀸 𒌷𒌑𒁳𒊭𒀸 𒄯𒅗𒀭 𒁳𒉿𒇷 𒅖𒄩𒈪𒅀𒀭𒍣

𒉿𒅈𒆪𒍑𒊭𒀭 𒈠𒀀𒀸𒊭𒉌 𒆟

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ÉRIN.MEŠ u-i-ya-nu-un nu-m[u …

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ku-wa-pí A-la-ak-ša-an-du-uš LÚTAR-TE-NU e-eš-zi ku-wa-pí [
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a-la-aš URUÚ-i-lu-ša-aš ḫar-ka-an lu-wi-li iš-ḫa-mi-ya-an-zi
_________________________________________________________________
wa-ar-ku-uš-ša-an ma-a-aš-ša-ni SÌ[R?

xxx
but when the sons of Attaršiya, the leader of the land of Ahhiyawa,
went to the land of the city of Taruiša, I, my Majesty, from Lukka
sent troops. Now (to) m[e …]
But you, my brother Pariyamuwa, did not write back.
Where is the Crown-Prince Alakšandu? Where […]
N]ow
they sing in Luwian (of) the destruction of steep (?) Wiluša:
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“The wrath, o god(dess), si[ng…