Luwian

Luwian, also called Luite, member of an extinct people of ancient Anatolia. The Luwians were related to the Hittites and were the dominant group in the Late Hittite culture. Their language is known from cuneiform texts found at the Hittite capital, Boğazköy. (See Luwian language.)

Luwiya is mentioned as a foreign country in the Hittite laws (about 1500 bc). It probably coincided roughly with Arzawa, a large region composed of several principalities in western or southwestern Anatolia, and Kizzuwadna, a district occupying the Cilician Plain. Both Arzawa and Kizzuwadna were independent kingdoms during the Old Hittite period (c. 1700–c. 1500 bc) but later became vassals of the Hittite empire. Linguistic evidence testifies to the cultural penetration of the Hittite empire by Luwians.

After the downfall of the Hittite empire (c. 1180 bc), hieroglyphic inscriptions in Luwian became common in southeastern Anatolia and northern Syria, an indication of Luwian expansion into regions not previously held by them, where they formed the “Syro-Hittite,” or Late Hittite, principalities. Most of the documentation on these states comes from the annals of Assyrian kings, who repeatedly raided them until Sargon II (reigned 721–705 bc) incorporated them as provinces into his empire.

The religious beliefs of the Hittites and the Luwians were similar. The chief god in both systems was a god of thunderstorm and rain, called Tarhum (Tarhund) in Luwian. The moon god had the same name, Arma, in both languages. The presence of Luwian magical rituals in the Hittite capital indicates that Luwians had a certain reputation as magicians. The Luwians assimilated the general characteristics of Hittite civilization, making it difficult to determine distinctly Luwian cultural traits. The art of the small Luwian states of the 1st millennium bc combines Hittite motifs with others of general Middle Eastern origin, its style being influenced by that of the Aramaeans and, later, of the Assyrians. The importance of the Luwians lies in their preservation of Hittite tradition for almost 500 years after the downfall of the Hittite empire.