Monday, October 8, 2007

A letter form the King of Mitanni to the Queen Mother of Egypt

"To Tiye Lady of Egypt
Thus speaks Tushratta King of the Mitanni
Approximately 1350 bc

All is well with me.
May all be well with you.
May all go well in your house, for your son, may all be perfectly well for your soldiers and for all belonging to you.

You are the one who knows that I have felt friendship for your husband, that your husband had felt friendship for me.
The things that I wrote and told your husband and things that your husband told me, were known to you. But it is to you who knows better than anyone, the things we have told each other. No one knows better than you.

You should continue sending joyous envoys, one after another. Do not stop them coming.
I shall not forget the friendship with your husband. This friendship is ten fold for your son.

You are the one who knows the words of your husband, but still I have not received your gift of homage which your husband ordered. I have asked your husband for colossal gold statues but your son sent me statues of gilded wood. As gold is like dust in your sons country, why have their been reason for such pain's that your son not to have given to me. Neither has he given what his father gave to me?"

AUTHORS NOTE: This letter was found at the queen's son's capital and may well have never been read or responded to by the queen mother who visited her son's capital perhaps maybe only once.
The queen mother probably lived out her golden years in her palace at Malquatta near Thebes.

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