CLT 3378 Ancient Mythology East and West Spring 2015 Lecture Outline Akhenaten and Monotheism Monotheism in Dynastic Egypt Akhenaten and the 18th Dynasty I 18th Dynasty Egypt A Marks the beginning of the New Kingdom 1 ca 1550 1070 BCE 2 Dynasties XVIII XX 18 20 B Begins with the reunification of Upper Lower Egypt by Ahmose I ca 1550 BCE C Houses some of the most famous pharaohs in history 1 Hatshepsut female pharaoh one of six female pharaohs 2 Tutankhamun King Tut D Eighteenth Dynasty often called the Thutmosid Dynasty 1 Thutmosid Dynasty series of related pharaohs most of whom with names Thutmosis or Amenhotep 2 We will be focusing on Amenhotep IV Akhenaten II Amenhotep IV Akhenaten A Born Amenhotep IV reigned ca 1353 1335 BCE B Husband of Nefertiti C Father of Tutankhaten Tutankhamun King Tut D By the 5th year of his reign name is changed to Akhenaten E His reign marks a distinct period in the Egyptian archaeological record known as the Amarna period III Amarna Period A Akhenaten builds a new capital 1 Old capital Thebes 2 New capital Amarna B New Artistic Style depictions go from masculine to feminine 1 Changes in representations of pharaoh Thutmosis III vs Akhenaten the i Broad shoulders vs skinny shoulders ii Slim narrow torso vs protruding limp belly iii Slight musculature vs plump soft body IV New Religion in Egypt A Monotheism in the Amarna Period changed from polytheism 1 Akhenaten implements the sole worship of the Aten sun disc 2 First instance of monotheism in the ancient world 3 Official title Ra Horakhty rejoices in the horizon in his Name as the Light which is in the sun disc B Characteristics of the Aten the sun disc 1 The Aten is androgynous both male and female just how Akhetaten is changing he is absorbing qualities of other gods 2 An old god repurposed to function as sole deity in Egypt 3 Central site of worship Amarna Akhetaten C New Religious Protocol 1 Temples of other gods are put out of commission 2 Images of gods are destructed or altered 3 Only royal family is allowed to actively worship the Aten i Hence the rest of Egypt makes offerings to the royal family because they can t participate in the religion anymore So they focus on the royal family D Representations of the Royal Family Worshipping Aten 1 Akhenaten 2 Nefertiti 3 Aten sun disc i Sun rays extend with hands in the sign of the blessing ii Ankh hieroglyph life at the mouths of Akhenaten Nefertiti symbolizes sex impregnation V Egypt after Akhenaten all gods are back A Polytheism is restored in Egypt 1 No more representations of the Aten 2 Old traditional images of gods return B Amarna Akhenaten s city is abandoned after the death of Akhenaten 1 Thebes becomes the capital once again C Akhenaten s son Tutankhaten becomes pharaoh 1 Changes his name and his wife s from aten to amun i Tutankhamun Ankhesenpa amun 2 Tut dies at age 19 D The End of the 18th Dynasty 1 Horemheb was the final pharaoh of Dynasty 18 i Destructs images of Akhenaten ii Dismantles temples of the Aten at Karnak Thebes iii Damnatio memoriae damnation of memory When a leader dies and successor wants to erase the memory of them Makes it very difficult to achieve Akh because his name is destroyed So he is essentially depriving him of afterlife
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