Ancient
Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III ruled Egypt for almost forty years. During that time Egypt enjoyed greater power and prestige that it had ever done before or since, prompting modern historians to call the reign of Amenhotep III the Golden Age of Egyptian history.
Politically, Egypt was the dominant power in its part of the world, with influences extending from the Euphrates in the north to the Fourth Cataract in the south. Economically, Egypt surpassed its neighbours. Within its territories, Egypt exploited vast resources of gold and precious stones; Egyptian merchant fleets brought wealth from trade; incredible riches came in the form of gifts and tribute from vassal kings; and Egypt’s own population, slave and free harvested the agricultural bounty of the Nile Valley and the Delta. Artistically, a confident style of elegant beauty emerged in paintings, reliefs, sculpture and architects.
Over all this, Amenhotep III ruled from a court renowned for its splendour and opulence. The magnificence of the temples he built for his gods and the monuments he erected for himself suggest that he was indeed a great pharaoh.
Chief sources for the period
There is a wealth of archaeological and written sources from the reign of Amenhotep III, including the remains of buildings and monuments, inscriptions, letters and reliefs and even a series of commemorative scarabs.
Amenhotep III constructed colossal statues. The largest of these, the Colossi of Memnon, still stand in their original position in a cane field on the western side of the Nile at Thebes. These seated statues of Amenhotep III once marked the entry to his mortuary temple. Each statue is carved from a single piece of stone and is over sixteen meters high. Another set of huge statues exists, of Amenhotep and his Greta Royal Wife, Tiye. These statues now dominate the atrium of the Cairo Museum. Such statues, by their sheer size, convey a sense of power and majesty.
The building program of
Amenhotep III ruled Egypt for almost forty years. During that time Egypt enjoyed greater power and prestige that it had ever done before or since, prompting modern historians to call the reign of Amenhotep III the Golden Age of Egyptian history.
Politically, Egypt was the dominant power in its part of the world, with influences extending from the Euphrates in the north to the Fourth Cataract in the south. Economically, Egypt surpassed its neighbours. Within its territories, Egypt exploited vast resources of gold and precious stones; Egyptian merchant fleets brought wealth from trade; incredible riches came in the form of gifts and tribute from vassal kings; and Egypt’s own population, slave and free harvested the agricultural bounty of the Nile Valley and the Delta. Artistically, a confident style of elegant beauty emerged in paintings, reliefs, sculpture and architects.
Over all this, Amenhotep III ruled from a court renowned for its splendour and opulence. The magnificence of the temples he built for his gods and the monuments he erected for himself suggest that he was indeed a great pharaoh.
Chief sources for the period
There is a wealth of archaeological and written sources from the reign of Amenhotep III, including the remains of buildings and monuments, inscriptions, letters and reliefs and even a series of commemorative scarabs.
Amenhotep III constructed colossal statues. The largest of these, the Colossi of Memnon, still stand in their original position in a cane field on the western side of the Nile at Thebes. These seated statues of Amenhotep III once marked the entry to his mortuary temple. Each statue is carved from a single piece of stone and is over sixteen meters high. Another set of huge statues exists, of Amenhotep and his Greta Royal Wife, Tiye. These statues now dominate the atrium of the Cairo Museum. Such statues, by their sheer size, convey a sense of power and majesty.
The building program of