Ancient Egypt Under Akhenaten and Nefertiti – Broken And Bankrupt
Pharaoh Akhenaten is one of the most controversial rulers in Ancient Egypt. He became known as the “rebel pharaoh” who tried to change Egyptian religion and society to suit his own vision. Akhenaten’s personality is still disputed, but it is clear that he was a rebellious individual who did not fit into conventional Egyptian ideas. Akhenaten was somewhat of a despot who had big dreams he would pursue no matter the cost to the state or individuals he was responsible for. Ironically, the motto of his reign was “ankh em ma’at” – Life in proper order. Akhenaten was the son of Amenhotep III, the ninth Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Ancient Egypt, who ruled for about 37 years.
To give some context to Akhenaten, it is important to take a quick look at his father, Amenhotep the III. Amenhotep III was born during a time of peace and prosperity. He was the son of Thutmose IV and Queen Mutemwia. Amenhotep claimed that Amun, [who had used Thutmose IV as a disguise], was his true father. Amenhotep III has been called “the Magnificent One” or” The Sun King of Egypt” (to invoke the idea of Louis the 14th of France). Amenhotep III’s reign marked a time of peace and prosperity in Egypt. It also included campaigns against those who traditionally threatened Egypt, such as Nubia, Libya, and Syria. In one such battle, he took 30,000 prisoners. Amenhotep III’s reign has been highlighted as the golden age of the Ancient Egyptian Empire. He constructed magnificent public buildings across the Empire that showed his power. The king also excelled at international relations and had a good working relationship with other countries in the region. Thus ensuring stability and peace of the region.
On the back of such magnificence, Pharaoh Akhenaten succeeded his father and ruled for about 17 years with his wife, Queen Nefertiti. Akhenaten died around the age of 40, leaving a country broken and in chaos. He was not originally expected to become Pharaoh, but he became heir to the throne when his elder brother died.
Queen Nefertiti played an important role during her husband’s reign. She was always represented alongside him. Researchers have discovered a talatat (a limestone block) with an image of Nefertiti using a mace to defeat her enemies to highlight how influential she was. One of the unique features of this block is that it features Nefertiti smiting a female enemy. The traditional iconography is of a male pharaoh destroying a male enemy. This talatat may reveal Nefertiti’s uniqueness: as a (female) pharaoh and as a (formidable) leader in her own right. This does not happen elsewhere in Egyptian art, so it is quite interesting. Such a depiction would have unsettled the majority of Egyptians when they saw it because it went against the general order and harmony of things. This block further illustrates that they were a power couple, possibly equal standing.
Under Akhenaten and Nefertiti, Egyptian culture, religion, politics and economy were greatly disrupted. The mighty Empire that the Pharaoh’s ancestors had built up began to weaken and crumble. Attempts were made to put down rebellions in foreign lands.
In 1347 B.C. Akhenaten and Nefertiti were living in harmony with each other and their children – in a utopia that Akhenaten had made for himself and his wife. However, the rest of the population had to physically build this utopia which included building a new city which was to cost a lot of money, time and resources, which plunged Egypt into more chaos.
On top of all of this, the Ancient Egyptians were subject to a great religious upheaval. Akhenaten introduced a monotheistic cult based on the sun god Aten, thus doing away with all the old gods. He was methodical about this; he did it in a series of phases. In the first phase, the high priest of Amun was sent away from the seat of power, thus limiting his influence. The God Aten was installed in the centre of Karnak, the heart and soul of Amun, and the Egyptian Empire – at least spiritually. At the end of the transformation, anything from the old cannon of belief not associated with the Aten was no longer divine, and no place was found for it in society. The Aten was equal to no one in the heavens or on the earth. The Aten was central to all and remote to all, except to the one intermediary Akhenaten himself, supported by the Queen. All power, wisdom, and salvation were now through Akhenaten. Even though people were still worshipping their gods within their homes and in secret, it would have still been traumatic for them.
This new religion necessitated new building projects, including a new capital city (Akhetaten). This led to the Egyptian people being forced to pay high taxes. For building his new city, many children were used for hard labour to construct many new important structures and even move stone blocks from nearby quarries. Along with this new flurry of building works, artisans were sent out across the nation to remove any mention of the heretical old gods. They were to be exiled, just like the high priest of Amun.
The location of this capital city is now present-day Amarna. It became a very rich and small city in Upper Egypt for a few, only 10 per cent of the population of 200,000. It was a city with links to the wider international community and benefited from the trade that came from such associations, which included incense and wine. Tomb paintings and carvings show a city laden down under food and drink. If you were to go by the impression these works of art left, you would think that individuals would have more than they could ever hope for; however, bones do not lie. Human remains found there show that it was hell on earth. While the royal family lived in its utopia and the God had all it wanted and needed, children were stunted and malnourished. Adults were worked to the bone – often victims of workplace injuries. Not only did the people have to suffer from the scarcity of the supply of food and injury at work they also had to contend with fleas. In fact, 35 different types of fleas. Malaria stalked the inhabitants of the city, and rats – Nile rats – carried and spread bubonic plague amongst those building the “utopia”. On top of all this, the average lifespan was around 20-30 years. The majority dead by 35.
You could picture this scenario, a young child sitting in their hut, without much food feeling hungry. All the while scratching their legs and arms because they have been bitten all over by fleas. A few weeks before, this child had lost a family member to malaria. This was “the utopia” for many. Not only did families have to put up with the lack of food and poor living conditions. They also had to put up with a corrupt and broken bureaucracy because the Pharaoh did not care what was happening on the ground. To rub salt further into the wound, this poor family, as described before, could very well have been living next to one of the wealthiest families in the city. Who had absolutely everything they needed and could have ever wanted.
However, the educated Egyptian elite would have been horrified by what Akhenaten was doing. They had been instructed in the Maxims of Ptahhotep; it highlighted the importance of those in charge taking their job seriously. They needed to protect and provide for their community and be diligent at their work. However, Akhenaten was not. He cared not for the nation’s administration but only for the consideration of the Aten. Men of no talent or little care were left in charge of the shop.
It is now an archeological site that you can visit. Akhenaten’s followers abandoned the city after his death. The city was later destroyed during the reign of Horemheb, who succeeded Akhenaten’s son Tutankhamun as Pharaoh.
All the while, the prosperity of Egypt was waning due to various threats internally and externally; the people of Egypt needed protection. In the richest era of its history, Egypt went bankrupt quickly because of the spending related to building a new city, a new religion, and during Akhenaten’s rule.
Not long after Akhenaten’s death at 40, Egypt would eventually return to the way things were before Akhenaten’s revolution, and his monuments and statues were destroyed or dismantled. The people stopped worshipping Aten, and they changed back to polytheism.
Bibliography:
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