Ebook: Brotherhood of kings how international relations shaped the ancient Near East

Introduction: A letter -- The first evidence for diplomacy : "I am your brother and you are my brother" -- Long distance trade before 2200 BCE : "At the wharf of Agade he made moor ships" -- War and allegiance in the old Babylonian period : "I have always done good things for him and his heart knows the good deeds that I have done for him" -- Mesopotamian contacts with distant lands from 2200 to 1500 BCE : "Who is there who would sell lapis-lazuli?" -- A diplomatic crisis between Babylonia and Hatti : "I sent to a far-off land" -- A clash between expanding empires after 1500 BCE : "Prepare yourselves! Make your weapons ready! For one will engage in combat with that wretched foe in the morning" -- First diplomatic overtures between the great powers of the late Bronze Age : "A notable event! The like of this occurrence had not been heard of since the time of the demigods" -- Mittani and Egypt united and at peace : "My brother, whom I love and who loves me" -- Diplomatic marriage in Amarna times : "We, between us, are one, the Hurrian land and the land of Egypt " -- Luxury goods from everywhere : "The gold is much. Among the kings there are brotherhood, amity, peace, and good relations" -- A crisis in the diplomatic relationships : "My father became hostile" -- The end of Mittani and the restoration of peace : "My ancestors and your ancestors made a mutual declaration of friendship" -- Epilogue.