ways of defamation and slander against the royal authority in the Hittite Kingdom (1650-1208 BC)

The Hittite state experienced political unrest throughout its history on the domestic front. Ambitions for power led to diverse political means to overthrow the Hittite king, including conspiracies, assassinations, as well as the issue of defamation and slander. The methods varied, involving magical practices and defaming the king and his family before the gods to incur divine wrath. Similarly, they sought to incite the people to rebel against the king. Consequently, the kings employed various measures to counter defamation and slander, such as prayers and supplications to appease the gods and gain their favor, in addition to physical punishments imposed on those who committed acts of defamation. Therefore, this research will focus on analyzing and detailing the means of defamation and slander, given their significance to the king's status both in religious and political terms. The study will also present cases of defamation against kings, analyzing them to understand their causes, consequences, and how they were confronted.