| Akhenaton
or Ikhnaton, also called Amenhotep IV, pharaoh of Egypt from about
1350 to 1334 BC. Akhenaton was the son of Amenhotep III and Tiy, and husband
of Nefertiti, whose beauty is now famed through celebrated portrait busts
of the period. Akhenaton was the last important ruler of the 18th dynasty
and notable as the first historical figure to establish a religion based
on the concept of monotheism. He established the cult of Aton, or Aten,
the sun god or solar disk, which he believed to be a universal, omnipresent
spirit and the sole creator of the universe. Some scholars believe that
the Hebrew prophets' concept of a universal God, preached seven or eight
centuries later in a land that Akhenaton once ruled, was derived in part
from his cult. After he established the new religion, sometimes referred
to as solar monotheism, he changed his name from the royal designation
Amenhotep IV to Akhenaton, meaning "Aton is satisfied." He moved his capital
from Thebes to Akhetaton (now the site of Tall al 'Amarinah), a new city
devoted to the celebration of Aton, and he ordered the obliteration of
all traces of the polytheistic religion of his ancestors. He also fought
bitterly against the powerful priests who attempted to maintain the worship
of the state god Amon, or Amen. This religious revolution had a profound
effect on Egyptian artists, who turned from the ritualistic forms to which
they had been confined, to a much more realistic representation of nature
as evidence of the all-embracing power of the sun, Aton (see Egyptian Art
and Architecture). A new religious literature also arose. This blossoming
of culture, however, did not continue after Akhenaton's death. His son-in-law,
Tutankhamen, moved the capital back to Thebes, restored the old polytheistic
religion, and Egyptian art once more became ritualized.
Another source says:
Akhenaten was the son of Amenhotep III and Queen
Tiye. Not much is known of his early life. His father, Amenhotep III, ruled
from 1384-1346 B.C. (according to Aldred). Akhenaten's rule spanned 1358-1340.
The overlap in dates has spawned the great co-regency debate, which is
yet to be resolved. Whatever the truth is, we do know that Akhenaten was
different than other royalty of Egypt. He began to bring one god, Aten,
into greater prominence, until Aten ultimately became the chief deity of
Egypt, by order of Akhenaten. He began to build a beautiful new city called
Akhetaten, and in Year 6, he moved there with his queen, Nefertiti, and
his daughters. The years spent there seem to be ones of peace, although
there is evidence that the city was heavily guarded. It seems that Akhenaten
spent his time worshipping his god, composing a beautiful Hymn to Aten,
and sitting for portraits. He ignored pleas from his outposts in other
countries for help against invasion, and he seems to have ignored the signs
that his idyllic rule was crumbling fast. Akhenaten had given an order
that all temples of false gods be desecrated. It may be one of the reasons
that Akhenaten fell from power, this persecution of the other gods. The
army no doubt was involved with the defacement of the temples of Amun,
if only as guards to protect those who did the defacement. It could not
have been easy for those who still believed in Amun to watch his holy places
defiled. The king's advisor, Aye, who was also in control of the army,
no doubt persuaded Akhenaten to appoint a co-regent and send him to Memphis
to calm the growing feeling against Akhenaten. Akhenaten appointed Smenhkhare
as his co-regent around his 15th Year, and Smenhkhare moved with his new
bride, Meritaten, to Thebes, where he began to restore the temples of Amun.
Three years later, Akhenaten has disappeared, Smenkhkare is dead, and Tutankaten
has become pharaoh. Akhenaten's tomb has been found, but there is no evidence
to suppose that he was ever buried there. His end is a mystery. |
