(2014-06-06) Thomas, Christine Neal; Machinist, Peter; Lanser, Susan; Huehnergard, John; Hackett, Jo Ann
Every father is the son of a mother. While this would appear to be a commonplace, studies of patrimonialism as a political system in the ancient Near East have rarely considered its implications. Royal women, as objects of exchange and as agents of political action, played a central role in negotiations between Late Bronze Age states and in dynastic struggles within these states. The relative positions of royal men were shaped by their relationships to royal women.
