Zannanza

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Prince Zannanza (died c.1326 BC) was a son of Suppiluliuma I, king of the Hittites. He is best known for almost becoming the Pharaoh of Egypt, and because his death caused a diplomatic incident between the Hittite Empire and Egypt upon his death.

Ankhesenamun/Ankhensenpaaton, queen of Egypt (possibly Ankhesenpaaten), asked King Suppiluliuma to send over a son during the late 18th dynasty because she had recently been widowed by Nibhururia (possibly Akhenaten but more likely Tutankhamun) and had borne no heir. After sending an envoy to verify her claim, he obliged her. Zannanza was chosen and sent to Egypt to become the new pharaoh and help make Egypt part of the Hittite empire. He never made it past the Egyptian border, and exactly what became of him is unknown. His father accused the Egyptians of murdering him, while the then king of Egypt, Ay, denied the murder but acknowledged the death. Angry letters were passed between the nations, but the matter ended inconclusively. Hittite forces subsequently attacked Egyptian settlements in Syria [1].

[edit] Zannanza in fiction

A fictionalized version of Prince Zannanza as well as the historical events mentioned above are depicted in the Japanese manga Red River. Zannanza is portrayed as a womanizer, but a close comrade of his half-brother Prince Kail Mursili and a skilled swordsman; he is a central character in the first several chapters.