Hittite Foot Command

When the king couldn't take direct command of the fighting army on the field, the command of the army was taken up by a member of the royal family, usually the brother of the king. In fact, many of the prestigious posts of the Hittite army, including command of its bodyguard corps and chariot battalions, were held by the brothers and immediate cousins of the ruler, thus leading to a tightly controlled core military force. They were followed by the other nobles of the Hittite state, who mainly commanded the smaller divisions of the army. Interestingly enough, as opposed to many other contemporary factions, these commanders were given relative freedom to conduct their own operations that mainly involved forays and raids into enemy territories.