Page 61 - All About History - Issue 180-19

The Heretic Pharaoh

campaign against the cult of Amun. He began
destroying temples and statues of Amun, including
the name. Wherever the name of Amun appeared
it was chiselled out, even from his own birth name
Amenhotep and his father’s cartouches.

Tell el Amarna

The royal capital through Amenhotep III’s
reign was at Memphis, in the north of Egypt,
with the religious capital situated at Thebes.
Memphis was associated with the creator god
Ptah and Thebes was the seat of the king-of-the-
gods Amun. Akhenaten would have been raised
at one or both of these cities.
Akhenaten decided in the early years of
his reign to build a new capital dedicated to
his favoured deity on a site that was untouched
by any previous religious practice. He chose the
barren site of Tell el Amarna in middle Egypt
due to a dip in the cliffs, between which the
sun rose, which resembled the hieroglyphic sign
for ‘Horizon’. He called the city, Akhetaten – the
Horizon of the Aten. The modern name for the site
is Tell el Amarna and gives its name to this whole
period of history. Akhenaten is depicted here © Alamy
Work started in year four of his reign where rasing his hands to the sun and
catching its rays in his hands
the boundaries were marked out by a series of
stelae carved from the cliff faces surrounding
what was to be the outline of the city. By year
six, there were 14 boundary stelae, all of which palaces, temples and military barracks. There is not to hold any religious beliefs other than the
show Akhenaten, Nefertiti and two of their no archaeological evidence for shops, taverns or ones they permitted. There would be riots. The
daughters (Meritaten, and Meketaten) worshipping schools although they may have been temporary Egyptians were no different in this respect.
the Aten. These inscriptions made it clear that structures leaving little evidence. Tell el Amarna The only problem is we don’t have any evidence
Akhenaten did not intend for the city to expand was a functional city, with no room for natural of protests but there is enough evidence to suggest
and develop past these stelae. growth or expansion. the religious upheaval was not a peaceful one.
In year nine the royal court moved to the new Excavations at Tell el Amarna,
devoted to serving the Aten, Akhenaten and his changing religion is have uncovered a large portion
city. The whole city was designed as a cult centre
of the city was actually occupied
family. The only people who lived there served a not an easy task by military barracks and police
function within Akhenaten’s wider plan. headquarters. There was
Evidence shows that people were invited to live One of the prevailing theories clearly a large military
at Amarna, but only if they had a skill required for about Akhenaten was that presence here, and the royal
the administration of the cult of the Aten. There he was a pacifist who was family is often depicted
were numerous temple officials, artists, temple more interested in his with a guard. These were
scribes and police officials, but only one vizier and religion than in war. This often of Asiatic or Nubian
no other civil administration. is often assumed due to origin – as they would not
Of the 50,000 to 100,000 people who lived at the changing artistic style have been affected by his
Tell el Amarna, ten per cent were the elite and the because he depicts himself religious changes.
rest were middle classes. It seems unlikely there worshipping the Aten rather This heavy military
was a poor underclass. Officially the city was not than charging into battle as presence was clearly felt
fortified but it was well-protected by the cliffs was traditional before and after to be necessary. It has been
and a strong military presence. The new city was his reign. suggested that the move from
planned around an official centre dominated by However, we need to think The reforms Akhenaten Thebes to Amarna was instigated
introduced were
carefully about what Akhenaten anbandoned after his death by a rebellion against Akhenaten,
“it seemed there was some achieved. He single handedly, altered the heretic king from personal attack.
and the guards were there to protect
the religion of the entire country replacing
backlash – the likes of which hundreds of gods who had been worshipped in network of roads, which was probably a military
Surrounding the city there was also an intricate
the homes and temples for thousands of years

no king had seen” with the Aten and himself. For perspective, patrol route in place of an enclosure wall. These
imagine if a modern prime minister announced
patrols picked up anyone outside the city who
should not be there, as well as monitoring those
as of next month we are all to worship them and

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