Internal Developments PDF: Reign of Amenhotep III

. Internal Developments 1.1 Reign of Amenhotep III - Amenhotep III ruled Egypt for almost forty years - During that time Egypt enjoyed greater power and prestige that it had ever done before or since, prompting modern historians to call the reign of Amenhotep III the Golden Age of Egyptian histor...

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Internal Developments 1.1 Reign of Amenhotep III - Amenhotep III ruled Egypt for almost forty years - During that time Egypt enjoyed greater power and prestige that it had ever done before or since, prompting modern historians to call the reign of Amenhotep III the Golden Age of Egyptian history. - Politically, Egypt was the dominant power in its part of the world, with influence extending from the Euphrates in the north to the Fourth Cataract inthe south. - Economically, Egypt surpassed its neighbours. - Within its territories, Egypt exploited vast resources of gold and preciousstones - Egyptian merchant fleets brought wealth from trade; incredible riches came in the form of gifts and tribute from vassal kings; and Egypt’s own population, slave and free harvested the agricultural bounty of the Nile Valley and the Delta - Artistically, a confident style of elegant beauty emerged in paintings, reliefs, sculpture and architects. - The magnificence of the temples he built for his gods and the monuments he erected for himself suggested he was indeed a great pharaoh. Foreign policy - Nubia – one campaign in year 5 led by Merymose, kings son of Kush - Syria-Palenstine-no recorded campaigns - Diplomatic marriages – two Mitanni princesses, two Babylonian princesses and one Arzawa princess - Diplomatic relations with neighbouring rulers – Babylonia, Assyria, Mitanni, Arzawa, Hittites (Amarna letters) - Diplomatic relations with vassal states- Amurru, Byblos, Palenstine - Trade with Aegean cities – Mycenae, Phaistos and Knossos appear on statue bases Administration of Egypt - For the first part of his reign, Amenhotep lived in the northern capital of Memphis and so it is not surprising that a large number of his chief officials came from Lower Egypt - When he moved his residence to Thebes, these men accompanied his so that he continued to have a group of dedicated and highly competent administration around him - Although there are some significant gaps in the evidence, it seems that Egypt was well governed during Amenhotep III’s reign - The bureaucracy ran smoothly under the supervision of the viziers, public works were maintained, a massive building program was undertaken, manufacturing and the arts flourished, bumper harvest were recoded, and taxes were collected - Throughout the land, Amun and the other gods were honoured in temples that were maintained by the various priesthoods - Prosperity and stability of the period reflected in efficient administration led by talented officials such as: - Amenhotep Son of Hapu – in charge of recruiting civil and military workers as well as supervision of buildings - Viziers – Ptahmose, Ramose, Amenhotep and Aper-el - Kheruef – Tiyes steward - Amehotep and Merymose- kings sons of kush Building Program The Temple of The temple of Luxor is considered to be the greatest of Amenhotep’s building Luxor achievements The temple was to mark the celebration of the Opet festival, Temple can give evidence of the beginning of the solar worship that followed in the reign of Akhenaten Pylon at Karnak The first pylon is the last to be built at Karnak It was never completed and is undecorated; even the remains of the mud brick ramps - Built by Nectanebo I (380-362 BC) who also built the huge enclosure wall surrounding Karnak Mortuary temple Mortuary temple is believed to have been the most impressive of all  Remains of it now are two Colossi of Memnon, which signify its grandeur. Palace - When constructed it was the largest of the mortuary temples in the Theban Complex area AKA Malkata Palace Evidence that Amenhotep III had not finished building when he died Complex included a large temple dedicated to Amun Constructed from mud-bricks Painted brilliant white on the outside and painted in rich vibrant colours on the inside. Art during the reign of Amenhotep III - The statues, tomb reliefs, jewellery, household furnishings and personal possessions produced for the court and the families of pharaoh’s officials reveal a high standard of technical excellence, combine beauty and elegance and a show a lively imagination and a love of novelty - It appears that a new trend towards naturalism in art, influenced by contact with the east, was beginning at this time although it did not yet exhibit the exaggerated naturalism of the Amarna period that followed - In the latter part of Amenhotep III’s reign, there appears to have been two schools of artists working in Thebes – those following the more traditional style and others tending towards the style later inaugurated by Akhenaten - The exquisite tomb reliefs of Amenhotep’s vizier Ramose, are evidence of this.. Religious Policy - Maintenance and development of Amun as chief state god – temple of Amun at Luxor - Claims direct descent from Amun in divine birth scenes – Luxor Temple - Increased emphasis on solar deities – Nekhbet, Amun and Thoth solarised - The most striking feature of religion during the Eighteenth Dynasty was the dominance of the cult of Amun over all others - Amenhotep began to promote the interest of a form of the sun called the Aten as the cult of the king - Amenhotep was deifiedduring his lifetime, a relief in a temple at Soleb in Nubia depicted him worshipping and making offerings to an image of himself as a god Royal Women - Tiye (great royal wife) -daughter of Yuya and Thuya (recorded on famous marriage scarab) - Tiye deified in her own temples at Sedeinga (Nubia) - Diplomatic marriages to Gilukhepa and Tadukhepa – Mitanni princesses and other princesses from Babylonia and Arzawa - Sitamin – daughter, married to Amenhotep III holding titles ‘great royal wife’ Other daughters Henuttaneb, Nebetiah and Isis, had titles ‘kings wife’ 1.2 The Amarna 'revolution': religion, kingship, Akhetaten (Tel el-Amarna) The Amarna Revolution Religion Akhenaten, in his 5th or 6th year of reign, after the change in his name he moved the capital of Egypt from Thebes to Akhetaten, which he also built over three years. This was a new site not before inhabited or been dedicated to any god, and so he could set up his city in the sole worship of the Aten. He then diminished much of the wealth and power of traditional cults by diverting it to himself and his own purposes. Kingship Akhenaten reigned by way of changing things as he pleased and saw fit. He changed the religion, the capital, the significance of many aspects of the religious sphere and didn’t seem to care if the Egyptians were people of tradition who didn’t like anything changing in their routine. Akhetaten Motives Scholars are uncertain - Act of Religion to promote his god of choice - Act of a Pharaoh determined to keep his political power in face of the threats from the Amun cult - Akhenaten’s life may have been threatened Function - Became the religious capital - Became the political capital - Served as a centre for Akhenaten’s power and religious beliefs Layout - Housed 20 000 – 50 000 people - Made hastily out of mud brick NORTH CITY Administrative buildings and Upper class residents NORTH PALACE Residence of Queen Kiya not a refuge for Nefertiti CENTRAL CITY Administrative centre, planned in grid layout, Great Palace, Great Aten Temple, offering tables, Small Aten Temple. SOUTH SUBURB Residential region for upper class citizens KOM EL-NANA Remains of a large stone temple containing garden and bakery MARU-ATEN Small shrines/pavilions and Kiya’s monuments altered in favour of Meritaten WORKER’S VILLAGE 64 houses surrounded by an enclosing wall, chapel for workers’ use, still used in Tutankhamun’s reign but later destroyed to use materials elsewhere 1.3 Failure of the Amarna 'revolution' Reasons for the failure of the Amarna 'revolution' - The changes were too radical Moving from a polytheistic worship to that of an all but monotheistic worship would have been an unwelcome jolt to the religious system - The religious ideas were too abstract Where older gods had statues and cult figures, there were no such items for the Aten, making the concept and the being of the god harder to grasp and relate to. Additionally, all ‘personal’ relationships with the god were through the Pharaoh. - The reign was short There was no time for the ideas to truly take hold - The lack of widespread support The court and royal family seemed to be the only true followers of the religious changes. Evidence of its unpopularity is seen through the statuettes of Bes and Tawet in the worker’s village - No designated heir As there was no designated heir at the time of Akhenaten’s death, the kingship was passed onto a new Pharaoh who did not have any interest in upholding his predecessor’s religious reforms - Lack of afterlife beliefs The cult of the Aten believed in the present and the now, rather than what was to happen. The lack of a belief in the ‘something more’ after life was an unpopular concept - Hostility of the Amun priesthood The stripping of their wealth, power and significance led to the Amun cult feeling hostile towards the monarch and the speed with which the traditional religious beliefs was restored indicates such an attitude. 1.4 Post-Amarna Reforms: Restoration of Amun and the Other Gods - The Amarna revolution might have failed but it had a marked impact on the reign so the remaining pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty and even the next - Evidence from the time paints a picture of an Egypt in dire need of a stable new government with a clear agenda for restoration and reform - Whether this was the case is hard to tell Tutankhamun - Nine years old at his accession – the principle wife of the deceased king acted as regent for the young successor until he was old enough to rule in his own right - In the turmoil following the deaths of Akhenaten and Smenkhare, the political vacuum was filed by Horemheb, the commander in  chief of the army - He was assisted by Ay, the senior member of Akhenaten’s court - When Tutankhamen died after nine years on the throne he was succeeded by Ay and then Horemheb The restoration of Amun and other gods - The restoration of traditional religious began during the short reign of Smenkhare - Indicated from items on Tutankhamen’s tomb that were recycled fromSmenkhare’s Osirian burial There is evidence of continued restoration during Tutankhamen’s reign including: - Changes to the names of the pharaoh and his queen from Tutankhaten and Ankhesenpa’aten to Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun  - Addition of the ephithet ‘ruler if southern Heloppolis’ (that is, Karnak at Thebes) to Tutankhamun’s titles - Removal of the residence of Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun from Akhetaten to Memphis, the traditional administrative capital of Egypt and subsequently to Thebes, patron city of Amun Restoration Stela - The most important evidence of the restoration of Amun as the state deity can be found in Tutankhamun’s Restoration Stela - Difficult to determine if should be taken as evidence of the neglected state of Egypt or as a piece of political propaganda - Tradition for pharaohs to claim they had restored maat, or order of and stability to Egypt after a time of chaos - Some references in the text seem to be specific and refer to actual occurrences rather than to general circumstances - Tutankhamun records what he did to remedy the condition of Egypt  His actions included: - Commissioning new statues of Amun in gold - Commissioning new statues of many other gods, especially Ptah - Rebuilding of the temples and restoration and doubling of their incomes and offerings - Recruitment of many new, young priests from the children of prominent families in their towns Restoration under Ay and Horemheb - The attack on Atenism did not begin in earnest until the reign of Horemheb when the Aten temples at Thebes were dismantled - Evidence suggests that the systematic destruction of the city of Akhetaten began at this time - Horemheb’s religious policy was strictly orthodox: He oversaw full restoration of the Amun cult - Religious texts from this period show that the Aten was now nothing more than the physical form of the sun god and that Amun was the creator of all things - Coronation Text – records Horemheb’s presentation to Amun by his sponsorgod, Horus of Hutnesu during an Opet festival and his subsequent coronation by Amun - Records that he appointed priests chosen from the ranks of the army to serve in the newly reopened temples - The Great Edict – inscribed on a stela from Karnak Temple, records measures undertaken to eliminates corruption through Egypt deals with reform of local courts and the regulation of state employees 1.5 Political and religious significance of building programs Pharaohs from Amenhotep III onwards used their building programs for the following purposes: - Maintenance of traditional pharaonic building policy honouring the cults of the traditional gods throughout Egypt and re establishment after the Amarna period - Promotion of solar worship as a new trend prior to and including the Amarna period - Construction of funerary monuments for their mortuary cults – a tomb and mortuary temple - Maintenance of pharaonic control of Nubia and the Egyptian borders through the building of temples and forts - The religious role of public buildings was of primary importance - In dedicating palaces and temples to particular gods, the pharaoh was able toshow his piety - Visible sign of the political power of a pharaoh and of Egypt - Amenhotep III in dedicating a temples to himself as a god at Soleb, was giving the clear message about the might of Egypt and its kings - The pharaohs role as upholder of maat included providing stability for the nation through a strong economy - Temples themselves integral to the efficient functioning of the country – endowed with permanent sources of revenue, particularly agricultural landand labourers to work it - The temples also owned herds, fishing and fowling rights, ships, barges and even access to mineral resources - Surplus grain was stored in the magazines built in the temple precincts – the best preserved re those at Ramessess II’s mortuary temple, the Ramesseum - Temples provided regular occupation for armies of workers, from unskilled labourers to highly skilled stonemasons and artists 1.6 Establishment and significance of the nineteenth dynasty to the death of Ramesses II - Horemheb, like Tutankhamun and Aye before him, died without leaving an heir - Horemheb’s own choice for the succession was also an army man his vizierParamessu who ascended the throne as Ramesses I - However he was also mindful of the achievements of many who had preceded him - Ramesses I’s new titles echoed those of his role model, Ahmose, expeller of the Hyksos and founder of the 18ths Dynasty and revealed his vision for his reign - Ramesses I, after a short reign was succeeded by his son Seti, already amiddle aged man at the time of his accession - To Seti is due the major credit for shaping the nature and purpose of the new dynasty - Seti saw himself as ushering in a new age of greatness for Egypt, one that would also revive the military glory of the 18th Dynasty 1.7 Role and Contributions of rulers: Amenhotep III, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, Horemheb, Seti I, Ramesses II Amenhotep III Role + Contribution - Maintained the Golden Era - Extensive building program promoted Egypt’s power and wealth Evidence + Description - Held extensive diplomatic contact with Near Eastern states - Building program including the temple of Luxor, the pylon at Karnak and the mortuary temple. - The Amarna Letters provide detail of the foreign relations of Amenhotep III’s reign and their positive nature Akhenaten Role + Contribution - Instigated the Amarna revolution, renouncing much of the old religion - Concentrated on internal affairs, particularly religion and control over the military - This consentration on internal affairs left foreign affairs to turn sour Evidence + Description - The influx of building, particularly of Akhetaten, dedicated to the Aten and the reduction of Amun worship - Money taken from Amun priesthoods was used to solidify the Royals’ control over the military - The Amarna letters contain evidence of Akhenaten ignoring neighbours’ pleas for help with Amurru and financial hardship Tutankhamun Role + Contribution - Reverted back to the traditional religion - Scholars argue that Tutankhaten was chosen as his father’s to be used as a ‘pawn’ in a power play by the Amun cult - Was a figurehead for the restoration and building of many temples - Promoted restoration of the old religion Evidence + Description - Inscription of Heliopolis (name/cartouche) = is the name that was given by early scholars to the oval rings in which a king's throne name and personal name and the names of other members of the royal family were usually written. - Restoration Stela = noted the improvements made during Tutankhamun’s reign for several purposes, one of which to promote his popularity amongst his people - Tomb + Furniture = things including painted wooden chest, ankh, Tut’s gold throne and stained ivory headset show his wealth and readiness for the afterlife process Horemheb Role + Contribution - Aimed to restore law and order and remove corruption - The Restoration Stelae - Continued to remove himself from Atenism - Aimed to remove the exploitation of lower classes by tax collectors and the abuse of soldiers - Removed evidence of Akhenaten’s changes and put his own name on predecessors’ reforms - Focused mainly on military strategy and foreign affairs - Brought control over the Palestinian Vassals Evidence + Description - Tomb = found in the Valley of Kings - King’s list - Pylon at Temple of Amun = is one of the four main temple enclosures that make up the immense Karnak Temple Complex. The precinct is by far the largest of these and the only one that is open to the general public. The temple complex is dedicated to the principal god of the Theban Triad, Amun, in the form of Amun-Re. - Coronation text - The Great Edict, was inscribed on a stela from Karnak Temple Seti I Role + Contribution - Reoccupied the forts in Sinai which had been taken over by the Shasu - Conducted several campaigns in Syria and Canaan fighting local kings, the Hittites and nomadic tribes like the Hebrews - Work on the temples at Karnak and for his magnificent tomb at Thebes Evidence + Description - Military reports and reliefs of battles detailing the retaking of Sinai forts - The temples with Seti I’s name inscribed to note the contribution to the build Ramesses II Role + Contribution - Remembered for his military campaigns and his extensive building program - Ramses, like his father Seti I, pursued a vigorous foreign policy by attacking the Hittites, the chief opponents of the Egyptian empire in the East - A peace treaty finally concluded the conflicts in his 21st year. - Ramses was responsible for building many large temples, most notably that at Abu Simbel in Nubia. Evidence + Description - Buildings with Ramesses II’s name inscribed to note his contribution to the build and commemorative stelae - Several reliefs and written sources on the campaigns against the Hittites - Stelae outlining the treaty found in both the Hittite and Spartan states 1.8 Changing role and contribution of Queens: Tiye, Nefertiti, Ankhensenamun, Nefertari Tiye (Amenhotep III)  Role and Contribution Evidence Traditiona - Bore Amenhotep III possibly up to - The mention of these children and the DNA l seven children to carry on the royal identification of some are consistent with this line - The speed with which he implemented his - Tiye assisted her son, Amenhotep changes for is reign suggests he was old IV/Akhenaten when he ascended to enough to manage his own affairs without his the throne, but did not act as regent mother as he was old enough to run his own affairs - Mother’s titles suggest she was involved in many cults and that she was a part of a royal - Tiye brought the Aten religion with family, possibly Mittanian her to Egypt from Mittani and taught Religious it to her son, Akhenaten - Many temples and monuments were built by Amenhotep and dedicated to Queen Tiye. (The Mansion of Tiyi, The Temple at Sedeinga, Soleb at Nubia and the Palace at Malkata) - Tiye was depicted using representation that was usually reserved for the Pharaoh or the Gods. She was portrayed through portraiture reflected the representation of a sphinx, which was highly unusual for a Queen. Additions were made to her headdress in  order to make her increasingly god-like and divine. - His trust in her to handle foreign relations, enhanced by her diplomatic skill - Fulfilled the role as the King’s Political Divine partner - The Amarna Letters between Queen Tiye and King Tushratta of Mittani - Tiye was a trusted advisor and confidant in regards to her husband’s political affairs Diplomati - Evidence from the Amarna letters c suggests that Tiye played an active role in diplomatic affairs as foreign rulers wrote directly to her. Sometimes it was simply to ask her to support their requests for gold or other treasure, but other times the  correspondence indicates a more significant involvement - The Amarna letters between Queen Tiye and Tushratta indicates the active role of Queens in their husband’s diplomatic affairs during this period Nefertiti (Akhenaten)  Role and Contribution Evidence Traditiona - Nefertiti had six children, all of them - The mention of the daughters in l daughters letters and inscriptions as well as their depiction in carvings - Nefertiti supported the radical changes her husband made without noticeable dispute - Nefertiti often and openly worshipped the Aten - Supported her husband’s religious reforms Religious by actively participating in worship and - Often depicted in carvings promoting the change with her children worshipping the Aten with her husband and children - Practiced the art of priesthood with permission from Akhenaten - A whole temple dedicated to her worship of the Aten in East Karnak - Nefetiti and Akhenaten were both gods in life - The royal family worshipped Aten and statuettes of Nefertiti replaced those of Maat in offerings to the god - The timing of Nefertiti’s - Historians now agree that she shared a disappearance and the first mention co-regency with Akhenaten towards the end of the new co-regent Political of his reign, as the pharaoh, Nefemeferuaten, sometimes spelt in Nefemeferuaten the feminine form - Potentially became the Pharaoh - The ‘Co-regency stelae’ from Smenkhare after her husband’s death Amarna has Nefertiti’s name replaced with the Pharaoh Nefemeferuaten’s name - Images have survived depicting - While Akhenaten was preoccupied with Nefertiti in this role his religious affairs, Nefertiti would receive foreign dignitaries and monitor diplomatic meetings Diplomati c Ankhesenamun (Tutankhamun)  Role and Contribution Evidence Traditiona - Had two stillborn children - They are mummified in her husband’s tomb l Religious - She played an important role in the - “Small Golden Shrine” depict her in many religious rebirth of her husband poses such as her religious role in the rebirth of Tutankhamun and her link to Hathor - Changed her name from Ankhesenpa’aten to support her - Refered to as Ankhesenpa’aten in her early husband’s reverting the religion life - Sent an invitation to a Hittite prince to rule Egypt with her. The outcome Political of this was his death and perhaps hers also. - Letters found in the Hittite archive Nefertari (Ramesses II)  Role and Contribution Evidence Traditiona - Nefertari appears as a compliant and respectable l wife who supported Ramesses on all appropriate ceremonial occasions - Nefertiti had four sons and two daughters, however Ramesses II outlived all of them - Ramesses II was succeeded by a child of a different mother, younger than his children with Nefertari - Elevated to divine status and worshiped in life Religious - She is depicted officiating jointly with him in - The walls of a shrine at religious ceremonies Gebel el Silsila - She accompanied her husband on royal - Scenes found in her tomb processions up the Nile - In the tomb of Nebwenenef - Presided with him at religious festivals and the II, there is an inscription that investiture of at least one high priest. describes the day that he was made a high priest of Amun, it explains that the ceremony was Ramesses II and Nefertari were there  - Nefertari may have frequently filled in for her husband in certain ceremonies. Political - This role of Chief King’s Wife allowed Nefertari to have a more political influence over Ramesses II and meant she was held in higher esteem in the minds of the citizens of Egypt - In Year 21, she offered congratulations to the Hittite queen Pudukhepa on settlement of the first ever peace treaty in history, the Egypto—Hittite treaty. Diplomati c 1.9 Role and contribution of prominent Egyptian officials within Egypt and the empire The Golden Age (Amenhotep III) Official Role Contribution Ramose - Vizier of the South - Ramose contributed to the successful running of the administration and building work in - ‘Governor of the Town’ (Thebes) the south of Egypt. Some examples of these may have been; - Responsible for the day-to-day running of the palace -Temple of Luxor -Third pylon at Karnak -Mortuary Temple -Palace at Malkata Amenhot ep - Oversaw Amenhotep III’s lavish and expensive building program, which was important on both a political and (Son of - Scribe of recruits and overseer of all religious level Hapu) works of the King  - Recruited thousands of builders design and construct buildings for the Pharaoh Merimose - Accompanied Amenhotep III in year 5 on his campaign against Kush. - Viceroy of Kush - Led a campaign against the people of an area called Ibhet (Nubians). The people of Ibhet had resisted - Controlled Nubian goldmines Egyptian domination and may have even attacked some Egyptian interests. - King's Scribe - Led an attack against the Nubians. - Overseer of the King's Scribes He killed 312 Nubians and captured 740 prisoners. - Overseer of the Treasury - Steward of the Peasantry The Amarna Revolution (Akhenaten) Official Role Contribution Ay - Troop Commander - Gradual return of the old gods and, the restoration of the power of the Amun priesthood. - “Overseer of All the Horses of His Majesty", - Fan-bearer - Scribe - Penultimate Pharaoh Horemhe b - Kings Messenger - Conducted the funerary rites for the deceased monarch and assuming the - Commander In Chief of the royal army role of heir - Advisor to the Pharaoh - Created a new law best known as 'The Great Edict of Horemheb' - Co-ruler, he was chosen by Tut to be the next pharaoh Mahu - Duties included: protecting the palace and temple, maintenance, armed escort, etc. - Received the customary honours - Commander of police from the ‘window of appearances’ - Was a Medjay (The name given to an area of Sudan occupied by the Nubians) (NKE = The name given to Egyptian desert scouts and protectors of areas of Pharaonic interest) The Post-Amarna Period (Tutankhamen and Horemheb) Official Role Contribution Maya - Overseer of building works in the “place of - Allowed for the building program to eternity”. be successful - Royal Scribe - Assisted in the running of Egypt by ensuring the royal household is running smoothly - Director or Minister of the treasury - Ensured financial state - In charge of internal affairs - Minister of home affairs. Nakhtmin - Had some control over the military, which may have included training or maintaining and ensuring loyalty - Royal scribe, Overseer of the army; King’s son. Ptahemwi a - Held a high position in Tutankhamun’s - Contributed to several buildings in military Tutankhamun/Ay/Horemheb’s building programs  - Royal builder - Served the pharaoh food, drink and commodities The Nineteenth Dynasty (Seti I and Ramesses II) Official Role Contribution Amenemopet - Viceroy of - He served as the first charioteer of His Majesty, Kush Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King, governor of the Southern Lands, and King's son of Kush. - Particularly in charge of announcing Jubilees, which were Khay a vital part for ensuring the enjoyment of the people - Vizier  - Important role in the religious sphere of the 19th Dynasty reigns and ensured the return to power of the Amun cult, returning it to its former glory. Nebwenenef - High Priest of Amun