Information about the Hittites

HBM #52 HBM #52

§1 Thusly Mr. Ḫattušili:
Say to Mr. Ḫimuili, my dear brother:
May all be well with you. May the gods keep you alive. May they preserve you in wellbeing.

§2 What matters of yours you kept writing to me, my dear brother - Do I, myself, not keep mentioning them in the palace? I will make a reply back to you.

§3 There is only one scribal house to you in that administrative district. Others keep oppressing you in that city - šaḫḫan- and luzzi-obligations exist for the scribes. Why must you perform them there? Now hold up the eyes! Do not let them oppress him! If not, then I will mention it in the palace.

§4 Say to lord Ḫimuili, my lord, my superior:
Thusly Mr. Tarḫunmiya, your son:
May all be well with my lord. May the gods keep you alive. May they preserve you in wellbeing.

§5 Oh lord, my lord, hold the eyes upon my house! Do not let them oppress it! Further, oh lord, my lord, judge the cases which exist for me! Establish them! Further, post an UKU.UŠ-infantry man before my house. Do not let the men of the land and the men of the city keep oppressing them!

§6 Further, although šaḫḫan- and luzzi-obligations do not exist for me in that place, now the men of the city have established šaḫḫan- and luzzi-obligations for me! Oh lord, ask (those) same men of the land if I perform šaḫḫan- and luzzi-obligations!

§7 Oh lord, I will keep sending forth the messengers who you send here! The matter of the horse and chariot which you wrote to me, I am moving forth the.... in the palace.

COMMENTARY

§6 šaḫḫan-obligations: taxation in the form of the provision of goods. luzzi-obligations: taxation in the form of corvée labor.

					Why?
	HBM #52 HBM #52 §1 Thusly Mr. Ḫattušili: Say to Mr. Ḫimuili, my dear brother: May all be well with you. May the gods keep you alive. May they preserve you in wellbeing. §2 What matters of yours you kept writing to me, my dear brother - Do I, myself, not keep mentioning them in the palace? I will make a reply back to you. §3 There is only one scribal house to you in that administrative district. Others keep oppressing you in that city - šaḫḫan- and luzzi-obligations exist for the scribes. Why must you perform them there? Now hold up the eyes! Do not let them oppress him! If not, then I will mention it in the palace. §4 Say to lord Ḫimuili, my lord, my superior: Thusly Mr. Tarḫunmiya, your son: May all be well with my lord. May the gods keep you alive. May they preserve you in wellbeing. §5 Oh lord, my lord, hold the eyes upon my house! Do not let them oppress it! Further, oh lord, my lord, judge the cases which exist for me! Establish them! Further, post an UKU.UŠ-infantry man before my house. Do not let the men of the land and the men of the city keep oppressing them! §6 Further, although šaḫḫan- and luzzi-obligations do not exist for me in that place, now the men of the city have established šaḫḫan- and luzzi-obligations for me! Oh lord, ask (those) same men of the land if I perform šaḫḫan- and luzzi-obligations! §7 Oh lord, I will keep sending forth the messengers who you send here! The matter of the horse and chariot which you wrote to me, I am moving forth the.... in the palace. *COMMENTARY* §6 šaḫḫan-obligations: taxation in the form of the provision of goods. luzzi-obligations: taxation in the form of corvée labor.