Story. Akhenaten - biography, facts from life, photographs, background information The reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten in which century

Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) - Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, who lived from 1375 to 1336. BC, who ruled Egypt from 1353 (or 1351) to 1335 (or 1334). BC. A simple reader who was not previously familiar with the name of Akhenaten will probably know at least the following facts related to this pharaoh:

his wife was the famous Nefertiti , whose images still captivate with their beauty;
his son was Tutankhamun , whose tomb has survived to this day almost completely intact;
he carried out a grandiose religious reform in Egypt - he introduced monotheism (monotheism). Akhenaten tried to transfer Egyptian society from polytheism to cult one god named Aten.

early years

Son of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and Queen Teye from birth got a name Amenhotep IV, and Even in his early years, he became his father's co-ruler. At that time in Egypt, a very serious force was the priesthood, which worshiped a whole pantheon of various Egyptian gods headed by with the supreme god Amun-Ra. Having become an independent ruler after the death of his father, Amenhotep IV At first, apparently, he also revered Amon; on the first monuments he is depicted praying to Amon-Ra. However, soon the pharaoh Amenhotep IV began to carry out religious reforms.

Monotheism in ancient Egypt was the cult of the god Aten.

The reasons that forced the new pharaoh to introduce monotheism (monotheism) in ancient Egypt are not exactly known, however, several versions can be put forward. At that time, the peoples of Egypt revered a great variety of gods, each city could worship its own deity. Very influential people served as intermediaries between people and numerous gods. priests, replacing the entire pantheon of gods with one god, common to all, could weaken the power of the priests and strengthen the power of the pharaoh Amenhotep IV , as a conductor of the new religion of monotheism. The introduction of monotheism (monotheism) in the country could unite the people and strengthen the state.

In the third year of his reign, the new pharaoh Amenhotep IV began to build a temple in Thebes in honor of the then little-known the god Aten, personifying the solar disk.

The god Aten was depicted as a man with the head of a falcon, crowned with a solar circle.

In the fifth year of his reign Amenhotep IV changed his previous name, which translates as “Amon is pleased.” Pharaoh Amenhotep IV declared himself son of the sun god - AkhenAten - "the living spirit of Aten."

The names of his immediate family have also been changed. G The pharaoh’s main wife received a new name “Nefer-Neferu-Aten Nefert-iti” (Ancient Egyptian: Nfr-nfrw-Jtn-Nfr.t-jty), which means “The most beautiful of the beauties of Aton. The beauty has come." Scientists count the word “Iti” - “came” in her name indicates that the queen Nefertiti was a foreigner who reached the pinnacle of power. Nefertiti came from another country and received a name "The beauty has come" - « Nefert-iti" The future queen was born around in 1370 BC e. VMitannian kingdom.

Nefertiti was not an Egyptian by birth, she was white-skinned and belonged to the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Mitanni, located in Asia Minor.

The circumstances of Akhenaten's death are unknown. He may have been poisoned, as one of the paintings depicts an attempt on his life. He was buried in his tomb, which he carved into the rocks a few kilometers east of the new capital. Akhet-Aton . Later Akhenaten's mummy was transferred to the necropolis of the Valley of the Kings in tomb KV55.

Even in ancient times, the Egyptians destroyed many monuments associated with Akhenaten, which complicated the identification of mummies. Genetic and genealogical examination showed that the man in KV55 is the father of Tutankhamun.

After the death of Akhenaten, the new capital Akhet-Aten was abandoned and began to collapse, and then turned into a quarry.

Curse of the Pharaohs. Secrets of Ancient Egypt Reutov Sergey

Amenhotep-Akhenaton - the subversive pharaoh

One day, about 3,400 years ago, a strange baby was born into the family of the ruler of Egypt, Amenhotep III. The boy was not considered an heir, since he was the second son. There is not even a mention of him in family images, in descriptions of religious celebrations and festivals. Now it is difficult to say why the family ignored the young prince. Maybe the reason lies in his unusual appearance?

He had a long face, a long skull, narrow shoulders and wide hips, long flexible fingers and toes. The ugly duckling in a purebred family. Or maybe those close to him were alarmed by the prince’s strange thoughts about the gods and human existence on this earth?

One can imagine how a child rejected by everyone swallows tears of resentment somewhere in the back room of the palace, while his royal family receives honors and has fun. Only his mother Tiyi, the king’s wife, secretly takes pity on her strange son.

But the great pharaoh Amenhotep III dies. And very soon after him, his eldest son, the heir, dies. As if from oblivion, in 1353 BC. e. The young pharaoh Amenhotep IV appears on the stage of Egyptian history. And so, unexpectedly, a former outcast becomes a king. He marries a girl of incredible beauty, whose name translates as “beauty is coming.” He idolizes his mother.

For some time, Amenhotep learned to rule the country without delving into political squabbles and priestly rivalries. But having gained strength and accustomed to power, the young king, like a bolt from the blue, struck his subjects with the decision to carry out religious reforms. He abolished the worship of all gods, except for the one and only one who always warmed him: it was the solar disk Aten, symbolizing light and energy.

Amenhotep closed the priestly schools, declared the priests to be false teachers who did not honor the true God, and declared all cults of the old gods illegal. He even forbade the depiction of any gods, since, in his opinion, the true god has no form. An attempt was made to destroy not only the names of the gods in Egyptian inscriptions, but also the very concept of “god”. This word was replaced by the word “ruler”, and the sign of god was replaced by the sign designating the pharaoh. Thus, the Sun-Aten was thought of not as a god, but as a heavenly king. From now on, the pharaoh became his earthly personification. In honor of Aten, Amenhotep IV took a new name: Akhenaten - “pleasing to Aten.”

A huge ancient country, which for thousands of years had nurtured its numerous gods, shrouded in legends and myths, suddenly had to forget them and worship one strange abstract god! People did not know how to behave, what to do with the grandiose, rich temples. The priests suddenly lost their power and livelihood. But disobedience was severely punished, and the entire way of life was turned upside down.

However, the young pharaoh did not care much about this. He is in charge here and can do whatever he wants! His beloved wife, the delightful Nefertiti, supported him in everything.

The people of Egypt had not yet recovered from the strange whim of the king when Akhenaten announced his new decision - to move the capital of the country. He personally went to choose a location for a new city. A suitable valley was found north of Thebes. On the western side it was washed by the waters of the Nile, and on the eastern side it was surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped mountain range.

Akhenaten was struck by the amazing beauty of the sunrise in this place. The solar disk rose into the heavens from a hollow between the mountains, whose outline resembled a boat. The pharaoh considered this a good sign and, having ordered the installation of border steles in four parts of the valley, vowed never to leave the borders of his new capital. This is how Akhetaten, the city of the god Aten, arose.

Houses, palaces and temples were built at lightning speed. Unlike the majestic buildings of Thebes, they were not built from durable limestone slabs, but from ordinary clay bricks. The city was built in record time and amazed with its splendor. Wide streets and squares, wonderful palaces of the nobility, surrounded by outlandish gardens, a convenient pier, artisans' quarters and, of course, open-air temples of unprecedented beauty with countless altars dedicated to the eternal Aten.

Akhenaten was happy. Every day he selflessly performed religious rituals dedicated to the solar disk, accompanied by his beloved wife and children. He was the son of the Sun, and mere mortals had to pray only to their pharaoh in the hope of reaching God's mercy.

He generously gave gifts to his followers and admirers. But he didn’t want to know anything about what was happening outside of Akhetaten. He was not worried about the dissatisfaction of the provinces with strange reforms, nor the weakening of borders, nor the warlike sentiments of the Hittites in the north of the country. We must pay tribute, under Akhenaten there were no wars, people lived and worked peacefully.

But not everyone was happy with this. The country was deprived of the huge profits brought by wars of conquest; the richest temples of the old gods were destroyed. The priests, who had lost power, were furious and turned the people against the pharaoh. Ordinary people kept figurines of ancient gods in secret places and quietly prayed to them. Hatred towards the heretic pharaoh grew in Egypt.

And only Akhenaten lived like a bright holiday, swimming in luxury, love and ignorance. He was unusual in everything. In ancient Egyptian images, we are accustomed to seeing pharaohs as young, slender people. Not a hint of old age or infirmity. Under Akhenaten, the style of depiction changes dramatically: it is as if he deliberately orders artists to flaunt their unusualness.

Before us appears a man with completely alien facial features, narrow shoulders, a sagging belly and wide, almost feminine hips. In addition, images of scenes from the everyday life of the pharaoh appeared, confirming not so much his divinity as his humanity. Here he is hugging his wife, and here he is with his family, tenderly kissing one of his daughters. And everywhere above him the solar disk Aten extends his blessed rays-hands, bestowing light, warmth and life.

Even the beautiful Nefertiti was not spared by realist artists: in one of the later portraits we see an elderly woman with hunched shoulders and sagging cheeks, but a proud and imperious look.

The king's beloved wife never bore him a son, but gave him six daughters. And at some point she disappeared without a trace. Scientists have several versions about this. Perhaps she was simply removed from the court and died in obscurity. Or perhaps Akhenaten, who madly loved his wife all his life, named her as his co-ruler Pharaoh Semnekhkara, who ruled for two more years after his death. But most historians believe that Nefertiti was poisoned.

As we remember from the story of the wise Hatshepsut, the title of “pharaoh” did not exist in Ancient Egypt. Was the main wife of the king. And in order to equate her with himself, Akhenaten gives her a male name and the title of pharaoh. And meticulous archaeologists, by the way, examined the female breasts of Semnekhkara, who came from nowhere, in the images. However, there is a version that this is simply the eldest son of the pharaoh from one of his younger wives. But Nefertiti's mummy has still not been found.

“Every eye looks at You, mountainous Aten! But only Akhenaten comprehended and knew You in the whole world.”

“Without the Sun, life comes to a standstill. When He rises, it comes to life. When You disappear, the earth is enveloped in pitch darkness. The eyes do not see the eyes, and mortals sleep in the tomb, with their heads wrapped up. If you steal a precious thing from under their head, they won’t notice.”

From an ode to Amenhotep IV - Akhenaten. Translation by I. Yakovlev

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Akhenaten 1375–1336 (or 1334) BC e. Religious reformer of Ancient Egypt, pharaoh. Akhenaten was an outstanding politician who carried out religious reform. During his reign, significant changes took place in Egyptian life - in politics and religion. He was the son of Amenhotep III and

Akhenaten, formerly Amenhotep IV (1364-1347 BC) - the tenth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs, an outstanding politician, a famous religious reformer, during whose reign significant changes took place in Egyptian life - in politics and religion.

Amenhotep IV is the most unusual of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, whose reforms arose exclusively during an interesting period in Egyptian history.

Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) is the first religious reformer in world history who tried to introduce monotheism in Egypt, monotheism (in our time this is called ecumenism) - the worship of one god, according to Akhenaten it was Aten.

To him, the system of mystical-religious ideas of the ancient Egyptians was extremely complex and confusing.

The worship of numerous gods dates back to the time of deification of animals, for example, the god of the dead Anubis was depicted as a man with the head of a jackal, the sun god Horus was depicted as a falcon or a man with the head of a falcon, the god Thoth with the head of an ibis, the goddess Hathor with the head of a cow, etc. d. .

Their cult was supplemented by the worship of the supreme deities - Ra, Amon and Ptah. Each of them was accompanied by a whole pantheon of related gods who had power in any one region or city. Such a cumbersome system fragmented Egypt and prevented its unification.

It is argued that changes in religion and politics were caused by the personal beliefs of the king, who was a consistent and apologist for the new religion.
When young Amenhotep IV ascended the throne, he gave the impression of being a God-fearing man, expressing in all his actions deep respect for the ancient polytheistic religious tradition.

However, already the first year of the king's reign was marked by the construction of the gigantic complexes Gempaaten and Khutbenben in honor of the god Aten - the visible form of the solar disk - in Karnak, traditionally associated with the cult of Amun-Ra.

The pharaoh's construction of the temple of Aten in Thebes led to a complete break with the cult of Amun and his priests. Amenhotep changed his throne name (“Amon is pleased”) to Akhenaten (“servant of Aten”).

The essence of Akhenaten’s transformations is not entirely clear to this day. Since the discovery of the remains of Akhetaten in modern Amarna, the dominant view in Egyptology has been that Akhenaten's new creed was monotheistic, or very close to it. According to this theory, Akhenaten can be considered the first person in world history whose worship of a single god is documented.

The personality of Amenhotep IV is controversial, so there is no consensus among Egyptologists regarding the motives and character of the reformer pharaoh - diametrically opposed characteristics of Akhenaten are often given within the same study. The pharaoh is portrayed either as an ideal ruler, a wise and peaceful man, far ahead of his time, or as an outstanding philosopher-dreamer with the talents of a statesman, or as a mentally ill fanatic. In particular, Boris Aleksandrovich Turaev called Akhenaten one of the most cruel Egyptian rulers, and James Henry Breasted wrote about him as “the first personality in world history” and “a brave soul who fearlessly acted contrary to tradition.”
Akhenaten usually wrote his name, adding the nickname ankh-en-maat - “lives in truth.” The religion of Aten meant the worship of light, and offerings were made on altars placed in regular rows in the spacious courts of this god. The ceremony was in stark contrast to the cult of the "hidden" Amon, whose sanctuaries were hidden in darkness. Aten was not depicted, but was represented as a disk or ball emitting rays, each of which ended in a life-giving hand.

Akhenaten married his cousin, the beautiful Nefertiti, with whom he had at least four daughters.

Akhenaten during his reign came to the idea: Aten for Akhenaten is the universal world god. Pharaoh is his chosen one, “beloved son”
...
I don't believe in accidents. Analyzing the world around me, I found some parallels in the life of the current US President Barack Obama with the Pharaoh of Egypt Akhenaten. The US President also positions himself as a reformer, a kind of new “messiah.” It is still not known what faith Barak really professes, whether he is a Christian or a Muslim. OK.

Let's pay attention to superficial coincidences, appearance:

The course to strengthen royal power by elevating low-ranking officials and strengthening the religious role of the monarch, begun pharaoh Amenhotep III, continued his son from his marriage to the unborn Teye, Amenhotep IV (ruled 1365–1349 BC; according to another dating – 1351–1334 BC). Already in the first years of his reign, the reformed cult of the god Ra - Ra-Harakhte - began to emerge even more prominently. From 1361 BC e. they began to identify him with the god of the solar disk - Aton. The pharaoh himself became the high priest of this new cult.

Akhenaten - rebel pharaoh. Video

At first Aten was revered in the south of Egypt, in Thebes, where is close to him Karnaca a special temple was erected. However, around 1359 BC. e. Amenhotep IV decided to leave this old capital XVIII dynasty and built himself a new one - in Middle Egypt, near the modern village of Tell el-Amarna, in a place that previously “did not belong to either god or goddess,” outside any Egyptian district (nome) with its traditional cults. The religious and political transformations of Amenhotep IV therefore received the name "Amarna reform", and this entire period of Egyptian history is called “Amarna”.

Pharaoh Akhenaten is considered an iconic figure in the history of Ancient Egypt. He is not only the husband of the woman herself, called the embodiment of beauty on Earth, but also a revolutionary of his time, determined to replace the pantheon with one and only Aten. During the reign of Akhenaten, Ancient Egypt did not start a single war, and naturalism flourished in art.

Childhood and youth

Truly blue blood flows in the veins of the pharaoh, named Amenhotep IV at birth. Father Amenhotep III came from the great Thutmose dynasty, from which came all the rulers named Thutmose and the third female pharaoh, Hatshepsut. Mother Tiya, although she was the daughter of a priest, was considered a descendant of Queen Ahmose-Nefertari, the wife of Ahmose I, who founded the Thutmosid family.

Akhenaten had an older brother, Thutmose, who died young, and sisters Nebettah, Satamon, Henuttaneb and Isis. Numerous versions speak about the presence of other close relatives.

Little information has been preserved about the first years of the pharaoh’s biography, and even that information is too generalized. It is known that the royal son lived in a palace, small in size, but richly decorated with mosaics and paintings. However, the palace was not located in Thebes, and perhaps even outside of Egypt. It is mentioned that the life of young Akhenaten was in danger, and the servant Parennefer, whom the pharaoh later elevated, provided some invaluable help in this situation.

Governing body

It is unknown when exactly the tenth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty ascended the throne of Egypt. It is assumed that Amenhotep IV ruled for a couple of years together with his father, who by that time was already seriously ill. Akhenaten inherited a rich and powerful state. In the first years, he launched extensive construction, one of the objects being the temple complexes in Gempaaton and Khutbenben.

Akhenaten, in addition to the supremacy of the cult of the Sun God, introduced a new position, the high priest of the god Aten, and without false modesty was the first to occupy it. Rituals were ordered to be performed not in a hidden sanctuary, but in the open air. Moreover, only Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti had the right to worship Aten, and, therefore, the rest had to worship them.

The cult of Ra, which had accompanied the Egyptians for centuries, was banned, thereby depriving the priests of power. The pharaoh especially disliked the gods Amun, Mut and Khonsu, the three most revered celestial beings in Thebes. In the heat of battles for monotheism, Akhenaten was not afraid to erase his father’s name, which translated as “Amon is pleased.”

As a sign of the beginning of a new life, Akhenaten ordered the construction of a new capital between Thebes and Memphis, calling it Akhet-Aten - “Horizon of Aten”. The royal palace made of white stone occupied an area of 20 hectares. The individual tsarist power strengthened even more; the influence of the previous state apparatus did not affect, at least externally, the resolution of issues.

He offended Amenhotep IV and his neighbors, stopped sending gifts, entered into political alliances with some states, forgetting about previous relations with others. But for the most part, the Egyptian pharaoh retained diplomatic ties with Assyria, Babylon, and Mittany.

Personal life

Family ties in Ancient Egypt present a tangle of mysteries even for learned minds, let alone ordinary people. The result of some such research was the conclusion that the future pharaoh was born from the relationship of Akhenaten with his own sister. The girl's name in scientific circles is encrypted and sounds like KV35YL (after the place where the mummy was found), in some sources - Baketaten or Nebettakh.

The most famous wife of the pharaoh is the beautiful Nefertiti. According to unconfirmed reports, she and Akhenaten had the same father. The wife gave birth to 6 daughters to Akhenaten. After the death of one of them, Maketaten, the queen left the political arena, and the place of her mother, oddly enough, was taken by her daughter Meritaton. True, before her, the king of Egypt, again presumably, acquired a daughter from his second wife Kiya.

Nefertiti had incredible influence, accompanied her husband on trips and was practically his main adviser. In widely circulated photographs, the sculpture of the pharaoh's wife is depicted wearing a blue wig (or royal headdress) decorated with the image of a cobra goddess.

Smenkhkare, the husband of Meritaten who died early, is also attributed to Akhenaten as a close relative - either a brother or a son.

Four more sisters, some historians believe, died in their youth. The third Ankhesenamun became the wife of Tutankhamun. After the death of Akhenaten, having ascended the throne, the children abandoned their father’s religious reforms.

History has preserved ancient sources that mention the name of Taduhepa, the failed bride of Akhenaten’s father and who was “inherited” to him.

Death

There is no record of how Akhenaten’s era ended. Presumably, the pharaoh was poisoned. The successors did everything to ensure that the name of “Pleasing Aten” disappeared from the memory of the people and material media.

Akhenaten ordered the tomb to be built at Amarna, as was customary, during his lifetime. After the capital of Egypt was again moved to Thebes, the pharaoh's mummy was reburied in the Valley of the Kings. Egyptologists believe that this is a grave coded KV55.

In 1907, the American explorer Theodore Davis opened the burial and decided that Tutankhamun was buried there. According to another version, the mummy is Smenkhkare.

The life and death of the reformer pharaoh, the reasons that prompted Akhenaten to one of the most noticeable transformations of antiquity, become the subject of literary research. Of particular interest are the legends about curses that overtake unscrupulous treasure hunters in ancient tombs.

Among scientific and fiction books, readers are familiar with the novels by Tom Holland “Sleeping in the Sands” and Paulina Gage “Curse of Love”, Yuri Perepelkin’s monograph “Kaye and Semneh-ke-re. Towards the outcome of the sun-worshipping revolution in Egypt.”

Memory

Relief of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. Brooklyn Museum
Relief "Akhnaten, Nefertiti and their children." Egyptian Museum in Berlin
Sculpture depicting Akhenaten and Nefertiti in the ninth year of their reign. Louvre, Paris
Relief "Akhenaton in the form of a sphinx in front of the solar disk Aten." Kästner Museum in Hannover, Germany
The site of Tel el-Amarna (the former capital of Akhet-Aten). Cairo, Egypt
2008 – action adventure “Jack Hunter.” The Curse of Akhenaten's Tomb. Directed by Terry Cunningham.
Puzzle "Treasure of Akhenaten". Part of the multi-platform computer game Assassin's Creed Origins