Amenhotep III

A detailed Summary of Amenhotep III

Amenhotep IV ascended the throne of Egypt following the death of his father, Amenhotep III. This new ruler proved to be different in almost every way from both his predecessors and the pharaohs who ruled after him. The purpose of this essay is to present the issues of religion, art, architecture, literature and foreign policy in relation to the rule of this unique pharaoh.

Newby (1980) states that the most noticeable difference rested in the religious beliefs of Amenhotep IV. In the past, Egypt had worshipped many gods, but under this new pharaoh's rule, polytheism would be replaced by a religion that believed in a single god. In one of his first decisions as pharaoh, Amenhotep IV proclaimed Aten to be the only true god, and named himself high priest of the deity (Weigall, 1923). The symbol of this new god featured rays drawn from a solar disk with each ending in a tiny hand stretched out as if in benediction over all lands (Mayer & Prideaux, 1961). This new religion advocated by the pharaoh was more than the simple worship of the sun itself, his god was the intangible energy that penetrated the earth in the sun's rays and gave all things life. His encouraged his followers to worship in truth, simply and without lavish c

eremony. Weigall (1923) states that is without doubt the most enlightened religion the world had ever known. In the sixth year of his reign, to further signify his repudiation of Aten and demonstrate his devotion to his god, he changed his name to Akhenaten, which means 'Glory of Aten'.

Some historians have stated that another difference between Akhenaten and other pharaohs existed in his foreign policy. Mayer and Prideaux (1961) write that after the death of Amenhotep III, What Egypt needed was a man with a whip, but "instead, there appeared a man with a vision" (p. 157). At el Amarna, archaeological evidence found at the 'Place of the Correspondence of the Pharaoh' reveals disorder in the empire. Newby (1980) states that Akhenaten resembled the Shakespearean character, Prospero, especially in the way that he neglected the affairs of the state for intellectual pursuits. Aldred (1968) further supports this position and suggests that Akhenaten's preoccupation with religion diverted his attention away from the details of government. Unlike his predecessors in the eighteenth dynasty in Egypt, whose priorities rested with the affairs of the state, which often meant fighting foreign wars, Akhenaten appears to have lacked the genuine will to take decisive military action. Archaeological evidence indicates that under his rule many of Egypt's conquered lands no longer feared the wrath of the pharaoh. By the twelfth year of his reign, a depleted treasury was no longer receiving tributes from foreign territories. Further evidence has shown that regents of Byblos, Jerusalem and other key cities in the empire often wrote for military support to quell insurrections, but they were either ignored or given only small assistance. As a result, Akhenaten's immediate successors received a smaller empire than when he first ascended the throne.

Their characters and their complexions diversified,

In conclusion, Akhenaten's different ideals of religion, art, architecture, literature, and foreign policy clearly set him apart from other pharaohs before him. Akhenaten was an idealist who believed in a universal god who could care for all men regardless of race or nationality.

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Approximate Word count = 1470
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History