Letter from king Aziru to the pharaoh of Egypt

Give diplomacy a chance!

“I fall at the feet of my lord, my god, my sun god, seven times and seven times.”

In this letter, Aziru, king of a small state in present-day Lebanon, caught in regional crossfire, desperately tries to reassure his overlord, the Pharaoh. Writing in Akkadian, the international language of the day like English now, he explains that attacks from his neighbours prevented him obeying Egyptian orders. He promises now to comply, and to treat Pharaoh’s messenger with due respect.

Alongside military campaigns, diplomatic engagement and exchanging ambassadors were essential parts of the power game between rulers.