Mursili II vs Numa Pompilius

Mursili II launched a decisive campaign against the Arzawa states in western Anatolia. He defeated King Uhha-Ziti and annexed Arzawa territory, ending the Arzawa threat and restoring Hittite dominance in the west.

Mursili II composed a series of prayers to the gods, known as the Plague Prayers, seeking to end a devastating plague that had killed his brother and many subjects. These texts provide insight into Hittite religion and royal ideology.

Mursili II conducted a series of campaigns against the Kaska tribes in the Pontic mountains. He defeated them and secured the northern border of the Hittite heartland, preventing further invasions of Hattusa.

Mursili II suppressed a rebellion led by Piyamaradu, a local ruler in western Anatolia who had allied with the Ahhiyawa (Mycenaeans). The campaign reasserted Hittite control over the region and checked Ahhiyawan influence.

Numa Pompilius established the major Roman religious offices, including the Pontifex Maximus, the Vestal Virgins, and the Flamines. He created a structured state religion, building temples to Vesta and Janus, and codified rituals to secure divine favor for Rome.

Numa built the Temple of Janus in Rome, whose doors were open in times of war and closed in times of peace. During his entire reign, the doors remained closed, symbolizing the peace and stability he brought to Rome.

Numa reformed the Roman calendar, adding the months of January and February to the original 10-month system. This created a 12-month lunar calendar of 355 days, which remained the basis of Roman timekeeping until the Julian reform.

Numa issued a set of laws covering religious rites, property rights, and social customs. These laws, later recorded as the 'Leges Numae,' regulated everything from burial practices to the treatment of slaves, forming an early legal foundation for Rome.