Essay 2: Foreshadowing

This collection consists of two letters from the king of Alashiya (possibly Cyprus) to the king of Egypt. The letters are part of the cache of clay tablets found at the site of ancient Akhetaten (modern el Amarna), the capital of the Egyptian kingdom during the reign of Akhenaten. At the time, the Near East was fully integrated into an international system that included the entire region. A number of large territorial states interacted with one another as equals and rivals. The ruler of Alashiya was probably included amongst the Great Kings because he controlled a key resource they needed: copper. Located in the eastern Mediterranean, Alashiya was in a position to be the first to see the warning signs of an impending storm that would soon bring this international age to an abrupt end.

A request for silver

Say to the king of Egypt, my brother, on behalf of the king of Alashiya, your brother:  All goes well with me. With my houses, my wife, my sons, my chief men, my horses, my chariots, and in my lands, it is well. And with my brother may it be ...

Unrest

Say to the king of Egypt, my brother, on behalf of the king of Alashiya, your brother: For me all goes well, and for you may all go well. For your household, your chief wives, your sons, your horses, your chariots, among your numerous troops, in y...