Akhenaten
Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten
Egypt was under a new and very different reign when Amenhotep IV was crowned as the next Egyptian king in 1353 BC. Amenhotep IV was a lover of the god Aten, the sun disc, which became of the change in the empire. The pharaoh later changed his name to Akhenaten after he had begun ensuring the desecration of the inscriptions and temples to the gods Amun and Mut. It was speculated that he changed his name around the time of his fifth or sixth year as pharaoh, the same time he constructed a new capitol city, changing the city’s name from Amarna to Akhetaten.
During his rule as pharaoh, the enormous empire his father, Amenhotep III, built, slowly deteriorated around its borders. There were scriptures of conflicts with the Matanni people, and on top of that the Hittites were stirring up instability in the thrall states of Syria and a nomadic group, the Apiru, “was creating unrest in Syro-Palestine” (Live Science, Akhenaten: Egyptian Pharaoh, Nefertiti’s Husband, Tut’s Father). It was perceived that Akhenaten failed to enforce military action because he was too focused in on his religion.
To my understanding, there weren’t many stories involving Akhenaten or those he kept close to him. The major tale that is a constant reoccurrence in my findings about this pharaoh was that of his religion as I had so pointed out. As he had changed the religion of Egypt, he also changed the way the people worshipped this god. He ensured that his people believed that he was the only one that could speak to Aten, taking away the growing power of the priests. In this he provided himself with a higher power over the people of Egypt, having all of them worship him to show their love and devotion to both the king and the god Aten. What came as a controversy during Akhenaten’s reign was the matter of one of his wives. Nefertiti was an aspect most uncertain in this age. She was frequently depicted alongside her husband and appeared as an equal. Although there were other
Egypt was under a new and very different reign when Amenhotep IV was crowned as the next Egyptian king in 1353 BC. Amenhotep IV was a lover of the god Aten, the sun disc, which became of the change in the empire. The pharaoh later changed his name to Akhenaten after he had begun ensuring the desecration of the inscriptions and temples to the gods Amun and Mut. It was speculated that he changed his name around the time of his fifth or sixth year as pharaoh, the same time he constructed a new capitol city, changing the city’s name from Amarna to Akhetaten.
During his rule as pharaoh, the enormous empire his father, Amenhotep III, built, slowly deteriorated around its borders. There were scriptures of conflicts with the Matanni people, and on top of that the Hittites were stirring up instability in the thrall states of Syria and a nomadic group, the Apiru, “was creating unrest in Syro-Palestine” (Live Science, Akhenaten: Egyptian Pharaoh, Nefertiti’s Husband, Tut’s Father). It was perceived that Akhenaten failed to enforce military action because he was too focused in on his religion.
To my understanding, there weren’t many stories involving Akhenaten or those he kept close to him. The major tale that is a constant reoccurrence in my findings about this pharaoh was that of his religion as I had so pointed out. As he had changed the religion of Egypt, he also changed the way the people worshipped this god. He ensured that his people believed that he was the only one that could speak to Aten, taking away the growing power of the priests. In this he provided himself with a higher power over the people of Egypt, having all of them worship him to show their love and devotion to both the king and the god Aten. What came as a controversy during Akhenaten’s reign was the matter of one of his wives. Nefertiti was an aspect most uncertain in this age. She was frequently depicted alongside her husband and appeared as an equal. Although there were other