The Hittites: The Story of a Forgotten Empire

by A.H. Sayce

The Hittites: The Story of a Forgotten Empire is a wonderful history of the Hittite civilization by noted historian A.H. Sayce.

Genres: History, Ancient History, Archaeology, Reference

84 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2005

About the author

The Rev. Archibald Henry Sayce (A.H. Sayce) (25 September 1846 – 4 February 1933), was a pioneer British Assyriologist and linguist, who held a chair as Professor of Assyriology at the University of Oxford from 1891 to 1919.

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hittites – The story of a forgotten empire by Archibald Henry Sayce was originally published in 1888 by the Religious Tract Society. The society’s purpose was archaeology, but its mission was to verify the historical truths of the Bible. It was the pursuit of this goal that led to the discovery that the world had not in fact been created in 4004 BC, as it was asserted by theologians who interpreted the Old Testament stories with a literal eye.

Sayce’s The Hittites is a superb book. Having just visited the temples and tombs in Abu Simbel, where the great victories of Ramses the second against the Hittites were depicted and described, I realized I knew very little of the history of the region. What I needed was an introduction to a culture and civilization that elsewhere is often treated as an aside to the mainstream of other stories. Reading Sayce’s account, one realizes that this is just not one’s own problem. An authentic seal is described as having unlocked some of the hieroglyphic writing of the Hittites, and yet it was originally dismissed as a forgery precisely because its images were unfamiliar.

The period of conflict between the Hittite kings and the pharaohs of Egypt is well described, including the actual text (in translation, of course) of the original peace treaty between the rulers. It is clear that Ramses the second did not have things all his own way, despite his glorification in death. Ramses took the daughter of the Hittite king as his wife, thus inspiring the wrath of Nefertari, his favorite. Diplomacy, after all, must come first, especially if one has been on the receiving end.

Sayce’s book has not dated. There are obviously some passages dealing with race and cultural ancestry that will antagonise a modern reader, and others dealing with the truth or otherwise of religions, that might make even an archaeologist distrust the entire message. But overall, the writer’s style is transparent, and the book’s content is always informative.

One thing that Sayce highlights is how in the ancient world conquest was very much an act of subjugation, rarely an attempt to govern. The constant warfare that ensued allowed each newly proud ruler to assert his megalomania. Knowledge, by now, has moved on. I am not sure if the same applies to history.

[Glenn Ramalho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice and easy to read but contents are dated. It was written before we could read the hittite texts, so it is more of an attempt to see what one could find out about them from seeing their monuments and descriptions from others. It is nice that it tries to use all resources available even the Bible.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written in the late 1800's, and revised several times lastly in 1903. You should read it as an historical document. It is racist, and uses the sources available then: racial phrenology, the Bible, and Egyptian Hieroglyphs, the writing of the Hittites still unreadable at that time. There are some jarringly judgey statements presented as fact. This book has value when read for its two levels of historicity: Ancient, and Victorian. Luckily, it is very short.

[Mr Douglas Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good insight into finding the past..

The pieding together of the first evidence of an important nation is well told and enlightening and shows the dedication of the Victims to trace mankind's beginnings..

[Read a Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though not always factually correct, or acknowledging uncertainty, the text is remarkable given that it was written so many decades ago.

[Lisa Wang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall Informative

Keep in mind that this was written in the 19th century, so some information may be outdated. You might also notice some racial rhetoric, which is understandable given the author's time period.

There are some dry spots throughout the book that I had to drag myself through, but all in all a decent overview of information. Heavy emphasis on descriptions of artifacts and buildings.