History UsefulNotes / Akhenaten

Upon his death, [[RetCon all his policies and practices were totally reversed]] and [[UnPerson he was blotted out of history.]] A good example is how his son Tutankhaten was brought back into the fold of Amun with his name changed, in [[MonumentOfHumiliationAndDefeat obvious allusion to dear old dad]] as UsefulNotes/{{Tutankhamun}}, ''Living Image of Amun'' (yes, this is ''that'' Tutankamun). The succeeding 19th dynasty would brand Akhenaten as a [[TheHeretic heretic]] and refer to him as [[TheScottishTrope "that criminal"]]. A lot of his buildings and works were smashed and by all rights he should have been lost forever and become TheGreatestStoryNeverTold, and so he was, until 2500 years later, when archaeologists in Egypt discovered the ruins of Amarna, the modern day site of his city and court, and found a bunch of carvings, letters, and other artworks. Succeeding excavations and the discovery of his son's tomb further revived history and interest in him.

Easily the most controversial of all the known Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.

* Jim Starlin's limited series ''Marvel: The End'' has Akhenaten as the villain who brings about the Apocalypse and kills the Marvel Universe with ComicBook/{{Thanos}} and [[ComicBook/Warlock1967 Adam Warlock]] to the rescue.

From practically the beginning, he showed particular devotion to the solar deity Ra/Re, especially Ra's form known as the Aten--the literal disc of the Sun as it appeared in the daytime. This was not wholly unexpected, as Ra worship in general and Aten worship in particular had been on the rise for a while at this point (somewhat to the consternation of the priests of the official Theban state god Amun). Of particular note is that the king's mother, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiye Queen Tiye]] (a remarkable woman and a force to be reckoned with in her own right and one of her son's chief advisors) had long been a believer in Aten. This faith may have come from her own father Yuya, a high-ranking but non-royal official. Tiye in turn may have encouraged this belief in her husband, Nebmaatre Amenhotep III, who made several references to Aten in naming items close to him; in particular, Amunhotep III named his royal yacht ''Aten-Tjehen'' (''The Shining Aten'') and his grand palace at Malqata (west of Thebes) ''Nebmaatre Aten-Tjehen'' ("Nebmaatre Is the Shining Aten").

In the fifth year of his reign, Amenhotep IV changed his name, abandoned the patron god Amun and his Temple, and worshiped the god known as Aten, represented as the face of the Sun, but unlike other Sun gods, Aten was literally the disc of the Sun as it appeared during the day. As such, it did not need any cult images hidden in shrines in temples--it was there for all to see. But being far away, it was also still hidden and mysterious in its own way--except to the King, with whom it had a special relationship. The Aten spoke only to him (or maybe only to him and his family), and he alone could speak to the Aten; all others needs must direct their worship to the monarch, as he was the only earthly conduit to this supreme god.

Now, since own name was derived from the god Amun (literally meaning "Amun is Satisfied"), the Pharaoh promptly changed his name to reflect his new beliefs, and became known as Akhenaten. This seems to have profoundly displeased ''le Tout-Thèbes'', particularly the priesthood of Amun (the tutelary deity of the Southern City since time immemorial). Finding himself the target of unprecedented criticism, he decided to leave Thebes and found a new city, called Akhe''t''aten (with a T), ''The Horizon of Aten'' (present-day Amarna), a site untainted by any previous association with any god, as a new capital and center for the worship of his god.

Akhenaten is the earliest known individual in recorded history to profess a monotheistic--or at least [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henotheism henotheistic]] or [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monolatry monolatric]]--belief system. He abjured the polytheism of Myth/EgyptianMythology and initiated a new state {{Cult}}. He went to the extent of defacing old temples, and scratching relics depicting him as [[ThatManIsDead Amenhotep]] and likewise persecuted the priests of Amun. Though there is some evidence in the relics of Amarna and other places that part of his court did include polytheists suggesting only a persecution of the cult of Amun and not all polytheism.

His mother, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiye Queen Tiye]], was a remarkable woman and a force to be reckoned with in her own right, one of her son's chief advisors and also a believer in Aten. This faith may have come from her own father Yuya, a high-ranking but non-royal official. She may have encouraged this belief in her husband, Nebmaatre Amunhotep III, who made several references to Aten in naming items close to him; in particular, Amunhotep III named his royal yacht ''Aten-Tjehen'' (''The Shining Aten'') and his grand palace at Malqata (west of Thebes) ''Nebmaatre Aten-Tjehen'' ("Nebmaatre[[note]]That is, Amunhotep III; "Nebmaatre" was his throne name[[/note]] Is the Shining Aten"). That being said, even Tiye doesn't seem to have gone as far as her son in devotion to Aten; she seems to have maintained devotion to the cults of other gods, particularly Hathor, in whose regalia she was often depicted.

-->-- '''Hymn to Aten'''

[[caption-width-right:350: Akhenaten beneath the Rays of Aten]]

Now, since own name being derived from the god Amun, the Pharaoh promptly changed his name to reflect his new beliefs, and became known as Akhenaten. This seems to have profoundly displeased ''le Tout-Thèbes'', particularly the priesthood of Amun (the tutelary deity of the Southern City since time immemorial). Finding himself the target of unprecedented criticism, he decided to found a new city, called Akhe''t''aten (with a T), ''The Horizon of Aten'', present-day Amarna, as a site for the worship of his god.

[[TheMagnificent The Horus, Beloved of Aten; the one protected by the Two Ladies, the great of kingship in the Horizon of Aten; the Golden Horus, the exalter of the name of Aten; the King of Upper and Lower Egypt Neferkheperure Waenre; the Son of Re Akhenaten]].[[note]]''Neferkheperure''="Beautiful Are the Forms of Re"; ''Waenre''="The Unique/Sole One of Re", or more colloquially "Re's One and Only"; "Akhenaten"="Effective for the Aten".[[/note]]

Akhenaten is the earliest known individual in recorded history to profess a monotheistic--or at least [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henotheism henotheistic]] or [[[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monolatry monolatric]]--belief system. He abjured the polytheism of Myth/EgyptianMythology and initiated a new state {{Cult}}. He went to the extent of defacing old temples, and scratching relics depicting him as [[ThatManIsDead Amenhotep]] and likewise persecuted the priests of Amun. Though there is some evidence in the relics of Amarna and other places that part of his court did include polytheists suggesting only a persecution of the cult of Amun and not all polytheism.

Akhenaten is the earliest known individual in recorded history to profess a monotheistic--or at least [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henotheism henotheistic]]--belief system. He abjured the polytheism of Myth/EgyptianMythology and initiated a new state {{Cult}}. He went to the extent of defacing old temples, and scratching relics depicting him as [[ThatManIsDead Amenhotep]] and likewise persecuted the priests of Amun. Though there is some evidence in the relics of Amarna and other places that part of his court did include polytheists suggesting only a persecution of the religion of his father and not all polytheism. His mother, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiye Queen Tiye]], was a remarkable woman and a force to be reckoned with in her own right, one of her son's chief advisors and also a believer in Aten. This faith may have come from her own father Yuya, a high-ranking but non-royal official.

In the fifth year of his reign, Amenhotep IV changed his name, abandoned the patron god Amun and his Temple, and worshiped the god known as Aten, represented as the face of the Sun, but unlike other Sun gods, Aten was a singular monotheistic deity. His own name being derived from the god Amun, the Pharaoh promptly changed his name to reflect his new beliefs, and became known as Akhenaten. He would go on to found a new city called Akhe''t''aten (with a T), ''The Horizon of Aten'', present-day Amarna.

Akhenaten is the earliest known individual in recorded history to profess a monotheistic belief system. He abjured the polytheism of Myth/EgyptianMythology and initiated a new state {{Cult}}. He went to the extent of defacing old temples, and scratching relics depicting him as [[ThatManIsDead Amenhotep]] and likewise persecuted the priests of Amun. Though there is some evidence in the relics of Amarna and other places that part of his court did include polytheists suggesting only a persecution of the religion of his father and not all polytheism. His mother, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiye Queen Tiye]], was a remarkable woman and a force to be reckoned with in her own right, one of her son's chief advisors and also a believer in Aten. This faith may have come from her own father Yuya, a high-ranking but non-royal official.

The man [[SpellMyNameWithAnS we call variously]] Echnaton, Akhenaton, Ikhnaton, Khuenaten, and more commonly in English, as ''Akhenaten'' was originally the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV of the famous 18th Dynasty. (For the record, modern reconstructions of the Late Egyptian he would have spoken suggest the man himself would’ve pronounced it more like "Akhenyaty".) His reign lasted for 17 years (current estimate: 1353–1336 BC or 1351–1334 BC).

Political historians tend to be iffy about Akhenaten as a ruler since he clearly put forth policies that were unpopular among the nobility and the clergy, and his faith obviously did not take or last long, and was in any case passed from the top-down. Theologians, psychologists, and artists though can't stop talking about him. The art patronized by Akhenaten is cited as being the most unique and revolutionary of Ancient Egypt, with more naturalistic scenes, more colour and style. Most notable is the relics in Amarna which show Akhenaten in domestic settings with his family, displaying affection and presented in a very accessible manner. Likewise the depictions of Akhenaten are themselves remarkable, as noted by art historian E. H. Gombrich, since they proved that the Pharaoh wished himself to be presented WartsAndAll and not as an inhuman deity. He notably appears as a [[ExpectingSomeoneTaller slightly pudgy short guy]] with a somewhat unattractive face and a visible paunch, which would've qualified him as an AdiposeRex by the standards of the time and place. How the art-style of his reign, and the other sculptures (including the famous [[Art/NefertitiBust bust of Nefertiti]] by Thutmose) relates to his beliefs is subject to debate, with Gombrich suggesting that having admitting the existence of only God above him (represented in art works in the symbol of an oval disk with rays protruding in lines all around him), Akhenaten could not well allow himself to be represented as a GodEmperor in the manner of the old traditions, and in the style of representation and willingness to represent himself in such a drastic new fashion, is an indication of his genuine sincere belief. The phrase "Living in Truth", used frequently in his writings about himself & family, may reflect this philosophy.

* Jim Starlin's limited series ''Marvel: The End'' has Akhenaten as the villain who brings about the Apocalypse and kills the Marvel Universe with ComicBook/{{Thanos}} and [[ComicBook/{{Warlock}} Adam Warlock]] to the rescue.

* Puzzle game ''[[VideoGame/Luxor Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife]]'' uses Akhenaten's history as a back story, as the goal is to retrieve and assemble artifacts of Queen Nefertiti, including her canopic jars, so she can rejoin Akhenaten in the afterlife.

* ''Moses and Monotheism'' by UsefulNotes/SigmundFreud, a famous speculative work that hypothesizes that Moses was not only an Egyptian but a priest of Akhenaten and the Biblical account of Exodus is a garbled take on history.

* Jim Starlin's limited series ''Marvel: The End'' has Akhenaten as the villain who brings about the Apocalypse and kills the Marvel Universe with ComicBook/{{Thanos}} and ComicBook/AdamWarlock to the rescue.

The man [[SpellMyNameWithAnS we call variously]] Echnaton, Akhenaton, Ikhnaton, Khuenaten, and more commonly in English, as ''Akhenaten'' was originally the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV of the famous 18th Dynasty. His reign lasted for 17 years (current estimate: 1353–1336 BC or 1351–1334 BC).

* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins:'' The DLC "Curse of the Pharaohs" has some mentions of him, with protagonist Bayek meeting a cult of his, not looking favourably on it's founder. It's possible to find his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. [[spoiler:Later on in the DLC, Bayek meets, fights and kills Akhenaten in the afterlife.]]

Upon his death, [[RetCon all his policies and practices were totally reversed]] and [[UnPerson he was blotted out of history.]] A good example is how his son Tutankhaten was brought back into the fold of Amun with his name changed, in [[MonumentOfHumiliationAndDefeat obvious allusion to dear old dad]] as UsefulNotes/{{Tutankhamun}}, ''Living Image of Amun'' (yes, this is ''that'' Tutankamun). The succeeding 19th dynasty would brand Akhenaten as a [[TheHeretic heretic]] and refer to him as "that criminal". A lot of his buildings and works were smashed and by all rights he should have been lost forever and become TheGreatestStoryNeverTold, and so he was, until 2500 years later, when archaeologists in Egypt discovered the ruins of Amarna, the modern day site of his city and court, and found a bunch of carvings, letters, and other artworks. Succeeding excavations and the discovery of his son's tomb further revived history and interest in him.

In the realm of theology and psychology, Akhenaten's monotheism is often hypothesized as an inspiration for Judaism and even Christianity. This is based on perceived similarities between the Hymn to Aten and Biblical Psalms (Psalm 104), with even Creator/CSLewis admitting that the verses are highly similar. As it stands there's no documentary evidence suggesting any real influence and continuity, with some arguing that Judaism in its early years was polytheistic and became monotheistic much later in time separately. Likewise, others also note that Akhenaten's monotheism might not be the one familiar in the Abrahamic religions, since it's not quite clear how Akhenaten defined it theologically (although we might have those aforementioned {{Orwellian Editor}}s to thank for that). We do know that he banned all idols and only allowed Aten to be represented diagrammatically, while others argue that Akhenaten's idea was closer to UsefulNotes/{{Deism}} with the Sun being a representative of the natural world, and being represented symbolically ''as itself'', and not as an anthropomorphic figure, and Akhenaten as per the letters placed himself below the Sun, and sometimes above it, and all indications suggest that he used it as a weapon to clamp down on the authority of the priests and their theological claims and views. For these reasons, Akhenaten is sometimes described not only as the first monotheist, but the first scientist and the first individual. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation One could alternately interpret this as simply the behavior of a power-hungry despot]], although he would hardly be the first of ''those'', that honor probably being held by someone lost to history, who would be ancient even to Akhenaten himself. The Amarna Letters likewise provide an incredible glimpse into the workings of Ancient Egypt, its foreign policy and the sophistication of the Ancient World. They are among the oldest "diplomatic correspondence" we know of, but their tone and subject matter suggest this diplomacy having gone on for years at the time the earliest of those letters we have were written.

Political historians tend to be iffy about Akhenaten as a ruler since he clearly put forth policies that were unpopular among the nobility and the clergy, and his faith obviously did not take or last long, and was in any case passed from the top-down. Theologians, psychologists, and artists though can't stop talking about him. The art patronized by Akhenaten is cited as being the most unique and revolutionary of Ancient Egypt, with more naturalistic scenes, more colour and style. Most notable is the relics in Amarna which show Akhenaten in domestic settings with his family, displaying affection and presented in a very accessible manner. Likewise the depictions of Akhenaten are themselves remarkable, as noted by art historian E. H. Gombrich, since they proved that the Pharaoh wished himself to be presented WartsAndAll and not as an inhuman deity. He notably appears as a [[ExpectingSomeoneTaller slightly pudgy short guy]] with a somewhat unattractive face and a visible paunch, which would've qualified him as an AdiposeRex by the standards of the time and place. How the art-style of his reign, and the other sculptures (including the famous bust of Nefertiti by Thutmose) relates to his beliefs is subject to debate, with Gombrich suggesting that having admitting the existence of only God above him (represented in art works in the symbol of an oval disk with rays protruding in lines all around him), Akhenaten could not well allow himself to be represented as a GodEmperor in the manner of the old traditions, and in the style of representation and willingness to represent himself in such a drastic new fashion, is an indication of his genuine sincere belief. The phrase "Living in Truth", used frequently in his writings about himself & family, may reflect this philosophy.

In the realm of theology and psychology, Akhenaten's monotheism is often hypothesized as an inspiration for Judaism and even Christianity. This is based on perceived similarities between the Hymn to Aten and Biblical Psalms (Psalm 104), with even Creator/CSLewis admitting that the verses are highly similar. As it stands there's no documentary evidence suggesting any real influence and continuity, with some arguing that Judaism in its early years was polytheistic and became monotheistic much later in time separately. Likewise, others also note that Akhenaten's monotheism might not be the one familiar in the Abrahamic religions, since it's not quite clear how Akhenaten defined it theologically (although we might have those aforementioned OrwellianEditors to thank for that). We do know that he banned all idols and only allowed Aten to be represented diagrammatically, while others argue that Akhenaten's idea was closer to UsefulNotes/{{Deism}} with the Sun being a representative of the natural world, and being represented symbolically ''as itself'', and not as an anthropomorphic figure, and Akhenaten as per the letters placed himself below the Sun, and sometimes above it, and all indications suggest that he used it as a weapon to clamp down on the authority of the priests and their theological claims and views. For these reasons, Akhenaten is sometimes described not only as the first monotheist, but the first scientist and the first individual. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation One could alternately interpret this as simply the behavior of a power-hungry despot]], although he would hardly be the first of ''those'', that honor probably being held by someone lost to history, who would be ancient even to Akhenaten himself. The Amarna Letters likewise provide an incredible glimpse into the workings of Ancient Egypt, its foreign policy and the sophistication of the Ancient World. They are among the oldest "diplomatic correspondence" we know of, but their tone and subject matter suggest this diplomacy having gone on for years at the time the earliest of those letters we have were written.

The man [[IHaveManyNames we call variously]] Echnaton, Akhenaton, Ikhnaton, Khuenaten, and more commonly in English, as ''Akhenaten'' was originally the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV of the famous 18th Dynasty. His reign lasted for 17 years (current estimate: 1353–1336 BC or 1351–1334 BC).

In the realm of theology and psychology, Akhenaten's monotheism is often hypothesized as an inspiration for Judaism and even Christianity. This is based on perceived similarities between the Hymn to Aten and Biblical Psalms (Psalm 104), with even Creator/CSLewis admitting that the verses are highly similar. As it stands there's no documentary evidence suggesting any real influence and continuity, with some arguing that Judaism in its early years was polytheistic and became monotheistic much later in time separately. Likewise, others also note that Akhenaten's monotheism might not be the one familiar in the Abrahamic religions, since it's not quite clear how Akhenaten defined it theologically. We do know that he banned all idols and only allowed Aten to be represented diagrammatically, while others argue that Akhenaten's idea was closer to UsefulNotes/{{Deism}} with the Sun being a representative of the natural world, and being represented symbolically ''as itself'', and not as an anthropomorphic figure, and Akhenaten as per the letters placed himself below the Sun, and sometimes above it, and all indications suggest that he used it as a weapon to clamp down on the authority of the priests and their theological claims and views. For these reasons, Akhenaten is sometimes described not only as the first monotheist, but the first scientist and the first individual. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation One could alternately interpret this as simply the behavior of a power-hungry despot]], although he would hardly be the first of ''those'', that honor probably being held by someone lost to history, who would be ancient even to Akhenaten himself. The Amarna Letters likewise provide an incredible glimpse into the workings of Ancient Egypt, its foreign policy and the sophistication of the Ancient World. They are among the oldest "diplomatic correspondence" we know of, but their tone and subject matter suggest this diplomacy having gone on for years at the time the earliest of those letters we have were written.

* ''Akhenaten'' opera by Music/PhilipGlass.