Abstract

Upon induction into the military, Hittite soldiers were required to swear an oath to protect the interests of their king. Typical for the time, the oath was filled with dire threats of the evil that would befall anyone who betrayed the king. Among the threats is the following:

They bring a woman’s garment, a distaff and a spindle and they break an arrow. You say to them as follows: “What are these? Are they not the garments of a woman? We are holding them for the oath-taking. He who transgresses these oaths and takes part in evil against the king, queen, and princes may these oath deities make (that) man (into) a woman. May they make his troops women and let them dress as women. Let them put a scarf on them. Let them break the bows, arrows, and weapons in their hands and let them place the distaff and spindle in their hands (instead).”