Hittites

Civilization

Technology tree

Strategy

History

Hittites
Civilization
Civilization information
Introduced in	Age of Empires
Architecture	Egyptian
Continent	Asia
In-game theme
Jingle
Timeframe	2000–1200 BC
Features/Characteristics
Focus	Archers Siege
Map

“	Pouring out of the rocky hills of Anatolia, the Hittites were the terror of the Near East. Lay waste to enemy cities with armies of skilled bowmen and durable siege engines.	”
—Description

The Hittites are a playable civilization in Age of Empires, based on the Indo-European people who established powerful militaristic states in ancient Anatolia and were a dominant power between the 15th to 13th centuries BC.

Characteristics

Civilization bonuses

• All archers have +1 attack.
• Stone Thrower, Catapult, and Heavy Catapult have +50% hit points.
• War ships (except Fire Galley) have +1/+2/+3 range in the Tool/Bronze/Iron Age.
• Wheel -50% cost and research time.*

Team bonus

Towers provide +4 population room.

Missing technologies

Irrigation, Architecture, Urbanization, Mysticism, Polytheism, Afterlife, Monotheism, Fanaticism, Zealotry, Medicine

Missing units

Slinger, Long Swordsman, Improved Bowman, Heavy Cavalry, Ballista, Centurion, Fishing Ship, Trireme, Catapult Trireme

Overview

They are an excellent aggressive civilization on both land and water maps on all sizes. Their variety of bonuses in military combat makes them one of the best civilizations for beginners since they have almost all the technologies available for combat. Their only major deficiencies are at the Temple and Dock.

Changelog

Age of Empires

• Architecture set is Mesopotamian.
• Catapults have +100% hit points.
• Scout Ships and War Galleys have +4 range.
• Centurion, Architecture, and Irrigation is available.
• Heavy Transport is not available.

Definitive Edition

• Catapults have +50% hit points.
• Scout Ships and War Galleys have +3 range. With update 38862, they have +2 range in the Tool Age and +3 range in the Bronze and Iron Age instead.
• Centurion, Architecture, and Irrigation is not available.
• Heavy Transport is available.

Return of Rome

• Architecture set is Egyptian.
• Team bonus added.
• Wheel -50% cost and research time added.
• With update 93001, warships have +1/+2/+3 range in the Tool/Bronze/Iron Age, respectively.

Campaign appearances

The Hittites have a dedicated campaign, Reign of the Hittites, which was first introduced in a limited manner in a demo of Age of Empires and then as a complete campaign in the Definitive Edition.

Other than as the player, their appearances are:

Ascent of Egypt

• 7. Trade
  • Libyans - Enemy (only in the Definitive Edition, Egyptians earlier and since Return of Rome)
• 11. A Wonder of the World (only in the original)
  • Canaanites - Enemy

Glory of Greece

• 4. The Trojan War
  • Trojan Defenders - Enemy (since the Definitive Edition)
  • Troy - Enemy (since the Definitive Edition)
• 5. Colonization of Ionia (since the Definitive Edition)
  • Luwians - Enemy
• 8. Alexander the Great (since Return of Rome)
  • Satrapy of Cappadocia - Enemy

Voices of Babylon

• 3. Lost (original and Return of Rome version)
  • Hittite Scouts - Enemy (since Return of Rome)
  • Hittite Engineer - Enemy (since Return of Rome)
  • Hittites - Enemy (since Return of Rome)
• 3. Vengeance (Definitive Edition version)
  • Hittite Looters - Enemy
  • Hittite Army - Enemy
• 5. The Great Hunt (original and Return of Rome)
  • Elamites - Enemy
• 8. Nineveh (only in the original)
  • Enemy - Enemy

Reign of the Hittites

This campaign is played as the Hittites.

• 2. Growing Pains (beta version only)
  • Hatti Rebellion - Enemy

Imperium Romanum

• 5. The Coming of the Huns (Definitive Edition)
  • Alans - Ally
• 5. Coming of the Huns (Original)
  • Huns - Enemy
  • Hunnish Allies - Enemy

Sargon of Akkad

• 4. The Land of Kings
  • Hurrians - Ally
• 5. Subartu
  • Hurrians - Ally → Enemy
  • Suteans - Ally

AI player names

When playing a random map game against the computer, the player may encounter any of the following Hittites AI characters.

• Mursili - Name of 3 kings of the Hittite Empire; Mursili I: King of the Hittites 1556-1526 BC
• Suppiluliuma- King of the Hittites c. 1344-1322 BC (Suppiluliama I); 1207-1178 BC (II)
• Ullukummis - Actually spelled Ullikummis. Stone monster in Hurrian mythology, son of Kumarbi
• Hattushili - King of the Hittites 1586-1556 BC (Ḫattušili I); early 14th century BC (II); 1267-1237 BC (III)
• Tudhalyas - King of the Hittites c. 1430-1400 BC (Tudhaliya I); 1380s BC (II); c. 1358 BC (III); c. 1237 BC (IV)
• Labarnas - First king of the Hittites c. 1600-1586 BC
• Anitta - Hattian King of Kussara, 17th century BC, son of Pithana
• Pitkhanas - Pithana(s). Hattian King of Kussara, 17th century BC
• Kumarbis - Chief God of the Hurrians

The following AI players are only present before the Definitive Edition:

• Mursuli II - Mursili II, king of the Hittites 1321-1295 BC
• Suppiluliuma III - Did not exist in the Hittite Empire
• Mursuli III - Mursili III, king of the Hittites 1272-1265 BC
• Suppiluliuma V - Did not exist in the Hittite Empire
• Mursuli IV - Did not exist in the Hittite Empire

History

Main article: /History

“	2000 to 1200 BC The extent of the Hittite civilization and empire was rediscovered only within the last hundred years. The Hittites had been mentioned several times in the Old Testament, but were considered only bit players. Excavations of sites in Turkey and Syria, plus the decipherment of inscriptions and recovered clay tablets, revealed that the Hittites were a world power at one time, rivals of the Egyptians and conquerors of Babylon.	”
—Excerpt from the Age of Empires manual

The Hittites are based on a powerful Iron Age civilization once located in Anatolia with their capital situated at Hattusa in the 18th century B.C. They spoke a language from a now extinct branch of the Indo-European language family. They were rivals of the nearby Egyptians, a conflict which culminated in the battle of Kadesh, one of the earliest well recorded battles in world history. Both sides made heavy use of chariots and advanced infantry tactics.

The Hittites were conquered by the Assyrian army led by King Shalmanesar some 700 years later.

Trivia

• The civilization's icon introduced in Return of Rome portrays a pictogram of the Thunder Sword of the Hurrian god Teshub (who was assimilated into the Hittite counterpart Tarhunna) overlaid on a common Hittite shield, typically wielded by shield-bearers on their war chariots.
• The user interface image in Return of Rome depicts a heavy three-manned Hittite War Chariot charging an Egyptian infantryman, such as during the Battle of Kadesh.

Gallery

Default player icon

Iron Age architecture that the Hittites share with the Egyptians and the Assyrians as of Return of Rome

The UI emblem artwork of the Hittites

Iron Age architecture that the Hittites share with the Babylonians and the Persians in the Definitive Edition

The Hittites are the first civilizations to reach the Iron Age in the Middle East and made extensive use of War Chariots in the military.

Hittite War Chariot in the campaign cover art of their campaign, Reign of the Hittites

A bas-relief of the Hurrian weather god, Teshub

Egyptian diagram of Hittite chariots and charioteers.

Modern artistic rendition of a Hittite War Chariot

The Hittite user interface in the original game

The Egyptian style user interface panels that the Hittites have in Return of Rome