Hatshepsut and her successors, such as Tuthmosis III (1458-1425 BCE), employed a balanced approach of diplomacy and military action in dealing with foreign nations; Akhenaten chose simply to largely ignore what happened beyond the borders of Egypt and, it seems, most things outside of his palace at Akhetaten. When Amenhotep IV took the throne in 1352 or 1353 B.C.E . In the fifth year of his reign, the king changed his name from Amenhotep ("Amun is Pleased") to Akhenaten, or "Servant of the Aten" thus formally declaring his new religion. His priests secretly continued their polytheistic worship. Freud recognizes that the cult of Aten existed long before Akhenaten raised it to prominence but points out that Akhenaten added a component unknown previously in religious belief: "He added the something new that turned into monotheism, the doctrine of a universal god: the quality of exclusiveness" (24). A hallmark of any monotheistic belief system, however, is that it encourages the belief that, in order for it to be right, other systems must necessarily be wrong. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Get rewarded for doing what you already do as a fan., Earn points for what you already do as a Marvel fan and redeem for cool rewards as a, (Points/Rewards program available to U.S. residents only. Akhenaten (aka Akhenaton) is one of Ancient Egypt's most controversial and notable pharaohs. By the time of Amenhotep IV, the cult of Amun owned more land than the king. Akhenaten is often not credited as being one of the great pharaoh's of ancient Egypt; his name is not as recognized as his son, Tutankhamen. Amenhotep III celebrated three, beginning with his 30th year as pharaoh. 721 Words. Is usually comprehensive and extensive. Both defiled and admired during his lifetime and long after, the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten (c. 1385 B.C.-c. 1350 B.C.) Akhenaten became best known to modern scholars for the new religion he created that centered on the Aten. One temple at Karnak shows only Nefertiti as the primary officiant before the Aton, sometimes accompanied by Meritatonan unprecedented privilege for a mere queen. When Akhenaten died, he was succeeded briefly by Smenkhkare, his favorite, and then by Tutankhaten who change his name to Tutankhamun, dropping the Aten and embracing Amun. The historian Lewis Spence writes: Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! The royal family took on a more androgynous appearance that sometimes even obscured the difference between Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. His queen, Nefertiti, to whom many historians believe he delegated numerous governing responsibilities, died during the festivities. Discovering Egypt Website Established 1997. http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/ioth/ioth_20091001-0900a.mp3, Who else might be in Pharaoh Tutankhamuns Tomb, Women of Power and Influence in Ancient Egypt. in history and taught university and high school history. Akhenaten and the Royal Family Blessed by AtenTroels Myrup (CC BY-NC-ND). Nefertiti's name was expanded to Neferneferuaten ("Beautiful Is the Beauty of Aton")-Nefertiti. It should be noted, however, that this is a point hotly debated among scholars, as is the whole of the so-called Amarna Period of Akhenaten's rule. However, modern scholarship notes that Akhenatens cult drew from aspects of other godsparticularly re-Harakhte, Shu, and Maatin its imagining and worship of Aton. Updates? Amenhotep III ruled over a land whose priesthood, centered on the god Amun, had been steadily growing in power for centuries. Nefertiti was a powerful queen who helped Akhenaten transform the Egyptian religious landscape. Akhenaten's religious fervency had spilled over into other areas as well. Akhenaten: Heretic and Pharaoh of New Kingdom Egypt. "Akhenaten." Along with these changes, Akhenaten . the Egyptian capital returned to Thebes and Egyptians resumed their traditional religious worship. Akhenaten was an Egyptian pharaoh during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom Period. In the fifth year of his reign, the king changed his name from Amenhotep (Amun is Pleased) to Akhenaten, or Servant of the Aten thus formally declaring his new religion. Expert Answer. The cult of Aton vanished. Akhenaten's mother, Queen Tiye, and one of his daughters died shortly after. A> Akhenaten, formerly Amenhotep IV, an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, who was married to Nefertiti, worshiped the Egyptian god Aten, renamed himself, wrote the Hymn to Aten, and, therefore, could be considered one of the first monotheists. Akhenaten's revolution became ugly as time progressed. Whether one regards Akhenaten as a hero or villain in Egypt's history, his elevation of the Aten to supremacy changed not only that nation's history, but the course of world civilization. What is certain, though, is this new religion elevated the Aten to the position of state deity and centered largely on its worship. A much more likely reason for this style of art, however, is the king's religious beliefs. He ruled from 1352-1336. pr. That Amenhotep IV was personally involved in these changes seems clear: the biographical text of one of the reigns master sculptors indicates that he was instructed by the king himself. This was probably carried out, at least in part, by illiterate iconoclasts, presumably following the orders of their king. All rights reserved. Tushratta, the king of Mitanni, who had also been a close ally of Egypt, complained that Amenhotep III had sent him statues of gold while Akhenaten only sent gold-plated statues. His father was Amenhotep III , the King of the 18 th dynasty when Egypt was at its peak. The introduction of Akhenaten's monotheistic views attributed to the decline of the Egyptian empire during his reign in the 18th dynasty. These works are unique in Egyptian art, as they do not flatter the king and his family but reveal them as real people, in all their beauty and decay. Their modern interest comes partly from his connection with Tutankhamun, partly from the unique style and high quality of the . We do know that Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti worshipped only the sun god, and the names of other gods and goddesses were removed from view. He built an entirely new capital, Amarna, some 200 miles north of the Egyptian capital of Thebes and ordered the relocation. Elongated, spindly limbs and narrow eyes figure prominently in depictions of the royal family during this period, causing some scholars to wonder whether Akhenaten had a medical condition such as Marfan syndrome. Pharaoh Akhenaten. Akhenaten dies: 1335 BC 2. In the 5th year of his reign, Amenhotep IV outlawed the old Egyptian religion and proclaimed himself the living incarnation of a single all-powerful deity known as Aten and, by the 9th year, he had closed all the temples and suppressed religious practices. John Bodsworth (CC BY) Akhenaten (r. 1353-1336 BCE) was a pharaoh of 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt. The scenes, reconstructed from thousands of individual talatat blocks, portray the royal couple and their eldest daughter, Meritaton, engaged primarily in making offerings to the Aton, although scenes of offering-bearers, cattle designated for slaughter, foreigners in obeisance, and detailed depictions of the royal palace are also abundant. Suggested dates for Akhenaten's reign (subject to the debates surrounding Egyptian chronology) are from 1353 BC-1336 BC or 1351 BC-1334 BC. When the pharaoh began openly preferring Aten to Amen-Re, it was a subtle attack on the stature of Amen-Re and the power of its priests. 18 Jan 2023. But Akhenaten undermined the prosperity of Egypt through his own obsession with the sun god, Aten. Akhenaten. Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten and defied tradition by establishing a new religion that believed that there is but one god; the sun god Aten. Few scholars now agree with the contention that Amenhotep III associated his son Amenhotep IV on . Tel: 212-535-7710 A varied collection . The Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten (18th dynasty) and his family on the balcony of his palace. However, during one brief period Egypt adopted monotheism. Occupation: Pharaoh of Egypt Born: Around 1380 BC Died: 1336 BC Reign: 1353 BC to 1336 BC Best known for: Changing the religion of Ancient Egypt and building the city of Amarna Biography: Akhenaten was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the Eighteenth Dynasty of the New Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt. Akhenaten was not the first pharaoh to show interest in the Aten. The king himself took responsibility for its cosmologically significant master plan. There is some evidence that at the urging of Tiy, the queen mother, Akhenaten made compromises to placate the different factions growing within Egyptian society. Paperback. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The evidence of the subjects' love and respect for Akhenaten comes from "reports written during Akhenaten's reign" of the loyalty his guards showed him. The first works commissioned by the king appeared in the traditional Theban style, employed by nearly every 18th dynasty pharaoh preceding him. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Akhenaten, Ancient Origins - Pharaoh Akhenaten: An Alternative View of the Heretic King, LiveScience - Akhenaten: Egyptian Pharaoh, Nefertiti's Husband, Tut's Father, Akhenaton - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Akhenaton - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Akhenaton and Nefertiti under the sun god Aton. The temples there had gateways to keep out the masses, hundreds of altars open to the air and no roofs over the sanctuaryvisiting dignitaries complained about having to stand in the sun for a long time. Akhenaten's tomb was uncovered by the great archaeologist Flinders Petrie in 1907 CE and Tutankhamun's tomb, more famously, by Howard Carter in 1922 CE. Any evidence that Akhenaten involved himself in matters outside of his city at Akhetaten always comes back to self-interest rather than state-interest. What religious reforms did Akhenaten make? In the fourth year of his reign, he changed his name to Akhenaten. And the same year, Akhenaten became a true fanatic. He was the son of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye . Akhenaten took the throne in 1352 or 1353 B.C.E. He was the second son to Amenhotep III (ruled ca. License. Previous Egyptian art idealized its subjects, whereas depictions of Akhenaten and the royal family have a decidedly different look, with elongated limbs and faces and squat, rotund bodies. Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Pharaoh Akhenaten. AKHENATON. Pharaoh during Egypt's 18th Dynasty, Amenhotep established a monotheistic religion worshipping the sun god Aten, alleged creator of the universe. First, Akhenatens cause of death is unknown largely because it is unclear whether his remains have ever been located. Chris has an M.A. Egypt suffered a devastating military loss, losing its territories in Syria. according to many sources. At the same time, he abolished the old . Akhenaten attempted to abolish most of the complex mythology of the solar cycleno longer was it a nightly struggle against the forces of evil, nor were there explanations for the existence of sorrow and evil in the world. He abandoned work on a temple dedicated to Re-Harakhte and began to build a new temple to worship the sun god Aten. Plotting to betray and conquer the Cosmic Order, Akhenaten returned to Earth in recent years, proclaiming himself its ruler and slaying opposition, including many superheroes and Godheads of Earthly pantheons. There he learns to walk like an Egyptian beside the future pharaoh, Ramses (Joel Edgerton), until the Hebrews' suffering motivates him to wage a holy war against . The depiction, then, could illustrate Akhenaten and Nefertiti as those who had been transformed to god-like status by their devotion to the Aten to such an extent that their faith is seen even in their children. However, like many topics pertaining to Akhenaten, this issue remains the subject of much scholarly debate. It would not be until the Christian era that the Egyptians would finally reject the old gods in favour of a single universal deity. In the fifth year of his reign, the king changed his name from Amenhotep ("Amon Is Content") to Akhenaten ("Beneficial to Aton"). The new temples were built entirely of relatively small blocks of sandstone of uniform size, known as talatat, apparently for speed in constructionan understandable convenience, considering the scale of the project. Little is known about his life as a crown prince. The new city had many spacious villas with trees, pools, and gardens. Web. His reign as Amenhotep IV lasted five years during which he followed the policies of his father and the religious traditions of Egypt. What was unique about her was the she was not a Royal, as it was rare for kings . Pharaoh Akhenaten died in his seventeenth year on the throne and his reforms did not survive for much longer. The local princes, who had been loyal to Egypt, no longer saw any advantage in trading with Egypt. Later Horemheb razed the city to the ground and Rameses II reused the stone blocks of its temples for his work at nearby Hermopolis. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University and University of Missouri. However, by Year 9 of his reign Akhenaten declared that Aten was not merely the supreme god, but the only . The 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt was full of intrigue. Scholars have speculated that he was perhaps a eunuch or a sufferer from a genetic disorder or . More simply, the remarkable innovations of Amenhotep IV in several cultural spheres at once may be reasonably viewed as a manifestation of the intimate connection in Egyptian culture between art and religion. Amenhotep IV broke with tradition and held his first sed festival in his second or third year as pharaoh. Religious persecution was new to the Egyptians, who had always worshipped many deities and were ever ready to add new gods to the pantheon. Your key for reading. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Amenhotep III's adoration of Aten had been in part political; the priests of the previously most-followed god, Amen-Re, had grown quite powerful in 14th-century Egypt. when akhenaten comes to power, what are his policies primarily informed by? Last modified April 17, 2014. As Dorman (2015) confirms, architectural developments which occurred at this time revolved around the Pharaoh's radical religious . The Aten was never shown in human or animal form, but represented as the sun disk with extended rays ending in hands. In addition, the enormous expanse of the exterior temple wall provided a stone canvas on which experiments in large-scale composition were undertaken. Akhenaten was one of the most controversial Pharaohs to rule Egypt. On its walls were pictured the transformation of Amenophis III to the godly sphere, and the renaming of his son fromAmenophis ("the god Amun is content") to Akhenaten ("he who is effective on the Aten's behalf.". One of the many unfortunate results of Akhenaten's religious reforms was the neglect of foreign policy. View the full answer. Dr. Doom learned Akhenaten's origins, and traveled back in time to slay him before he gained power, but Akhenaten anticipated this and foiled him. Cite This Work World History Encyclopedia. How Did Akhenaten Revolutionized Art. Akhenaten had Abdiashirta brought to Egypt and imprisoned for a year until Hittite advances in the north compelled his release, but there seems a marked difference between his letters dealing with this situation and other king's correspondence on similar matters. Amenhotep's jubilee didn't celebrate Amun, Ptah, Thoth, or Osiris; there was only one god represented: Re, the sun god. Rameses I . For nearly two millennia, Akhenaten danced with insanity. How did Egyptian art change under Akhenaten? This was done with violence: hieroglyphs were brutally hacked from the walls of temples and tombs. Akhenaten sought to impose upon Egypt and its people the worship of a single godthe sun godand in so doing changed the country in every way. I feel like its a lifeline. This image of the Aten as an all-powerful, all-loving, deity, supreme creator and sustainer of the universe, is thought to have had a potent influence on the later development of monotheistic religious faith. View L04 Reading Quiz.pdf from PHIL 119 at Pennsylvania State University. The introduction of a new cult was accompanied by innovations in the portrayal of the human form in both relief and sculpture. Guests include Kate Spence, Richard Parkinson and Elizabeth Frood. Here, you will find everything about the history of King Akhenaten including: While there are, then, examples of Akhenaten looking after state affairs, there are more which substantiate the claim of his disregard for anything other than his religious reforms and life in the palace. Mark, Joshua J.. A century before, Thutmose III had swept all before him, conquering the Middle East and Nubia and establishing a military priesthood which now controlled the empire. The walls were decorated with reliefs executed entirely in sunk relief, a method well-suited for exterior surfaces exposed to direct sunlight. The mad Titan Thanos, seeking the Heart of the Infinite's power for his own ends, teamed with the Defenders (Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and Silver Surfer) and Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell) to infiltrate the Cosmic Order's space station. Surviving documents show that Akhenaten paid little attention to the army and navy, foreign trade began to fall off, and internal taxes began to disappear into the pockets of local officials. was a revolutionary who transformed Egyptian society by instituting history's first monotheistic religion. (5). The most striking changes are seen in the appearance of the royal family. His father had built his authority on the basis of being a divine representative of Re, the Egyptian sun god. Changing his name to Akhenaten, he established Aten-devoted cities in Egypt, Nubia, and Syria, attempting to obliterate all worship of the Egyptian Gods Helopolitans and Ennead. But one thing external peace could not protect against was the instability of its pharaoh's whims. Akhenaten is one of the most intriguing rulers of ancient Egypt, and one of the most fascinating individuals from the ancient world. Akhenaten married the noblewoman Nefertiti about the time he became pharaoh, in 1353 BCE. The religion of the Aten is not completely understood today. As a replacement for a 2,000-year-old tradition, Akhenaten's religion lacked some important underpinnings, in particular, an afterlife. Few personalities of the ancient world excite as much interest for scholars, artists, religious believers and general public as Akhenaten, the Egyptian ruler who carried out a fundamental reform of religion and political ideology in the mid-14th century BCE. There is no doubt that his attention to this problem served the interests of the state but, as other similar issues were ignored, it seems that he only chose those situations which interested him personally. He ordered the name of the previous god to be scrubbed from all official buildings and writings, to the point that some instances of his father's pharaonic name were destroyed because it began with 'Amen.' ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/akhenaten-4769554. "Akhenaten: Heretic and Pharaoh of New Kingdom Egypt." Genetic testing has determined that the man buried in KV55 was Tutankhamun's father,[19] but its identification as Akhenaten has since been questioned. G Sioen / De Agostini Picture Library / Getty Images. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Akhenaten's attempt to suppress one god and advance another in a culture that reveled in a complex pantheon of ever-changing deities did not endure. Akhenaten came to power as the pharaoh of Egypt in either the year 1353 or 1351 BCE and reigned for roughly 17 years during the 18th dynasty of Egypts New Kingdom. Akhenaten (ca. Eventually acclimating to his cosmic role, Akhenaten earned the Cosmic Order's full trust and mastered the Heart's power over two millennia more. Some of the most famous pharaohs come from this period. Some historians regard this as a predecessor of current monotheisms. Marvel's Midnight Suns | Official Launch Trailer, Known only as historic figure to general public of Earth, Amenhotep III (father), Tiy (mother), Nefertiti (wife), Tutankhaten/Tutankhamen (son or step-son). Initially, Akhenaten presented Aten as a variant of the familiar supreme deity Amun-Ra (itself the result of an earlier rise to prominence of the cult of Amun, resulting in Amun becoming merged with the sun god Ra), in an attempt to put his ideas in a familiar Egyptian religious context. Much has been written about this compelling, controversial pharaoh whose appearanceelongated and effeteis totally at odds with that of the traditional Egyptian ruler. Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Many historians agree that Egypt's status in the ancient world fell during Akhenaten's reign. At one point the mutant Apocalypse posed as Aten during a meeting with Akhenaten. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Akhenaten and Nefertiti worship the Aten, Tall al-Amarnah (Amarna, Tell el-Amarna), necropolis, detail of stele, relief. Things took a turn for the worse for Akhenaten when he held a massive celebration in the 12th year of his reign dedicated to Aten. In addition, settings became less formal as well. Early in his reign, Akhenaten identified himself with the sun god Aton and elevated the cult of Aton above the worship of most other gods, including Amon, the king of the gods. In Akhenaten's new religion, this figure generally came to be represented as a sun disk and is best understood as the light produced by the sun itself. Mark, published on 17 April 2014. Since October 1966, an expedition of the University Museum has been engaged in a study of polychrome relief-cut blocks from the Aten Temple built by Akhenaten at Thebes (modern Karnak) in the early years of his reign. Unlike the old gods, he had no carved image hidden in a dark room deep within a temple, but was worshiped out in the light of day. The gods and practices of the various cults all represented the same end: eternal harmony and balance. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Among the surviving works of this period are the colossal statues of Akhenaten, the paintings from his private residence, the bust of his wife Nefertiti, and that of his mother, Queen Tiy. When Amenhotep IV took the throne in 1352 or 1353 B.C.E., Egypt was arguably the most prosperous and dominant state in the ancient world. In Akhenaten's new religion, this figure generally came to be represented . His legacy of monotheism, however, if Freud and others are correct, influenced other religious thinkers to emulate his ideal of one true god and reject the polytheism which had characterized human religious belief for millennia.
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