AIV Flashcards
(41 cards)
1
Q
- Give details of Akhenaten’s parents and youth
A
Amenhotep IV was the second son of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye. He was probably born in the Northern capital of Memphis, where the court resided until the last decade or so of his fathers reign. He was born at the height of the Egyptian empire and brought up in an environment of luxury and elegance. It is assumed he was close to his mother Queen Tiye because he was conspicuous by absence from the monuments of his father.
2
Q
- What possible influence did the priests of Heliopolis have on Akhenaten?
A
Akhenaten at a young age would have been influenced by the developments in the solar cult that had taken place during the reigns of his grandfather and father involving the priests of Heliopolis.
3
Q
- Give details and theories regarding Akhenaten’s accession to the throne
A
- It was thought that Amenhotep IV was about 16 or 17 when he came to the throne.
- A wall relief of the tomb of Ramose, Vizier of the South, shows the young king wearing the blue Khepresh crown of coronation and enthroned under a canopy with the goddess Ma’at.
- The ambiguous nature of evidence has led to many different theories regarding his accession to throne.
- Redford argues that Amenhotep IV succeeded his father on his death and ruled alone for 17 years.
- On the other hand Aldred and Hayes argues persuasively not only for co regency but for one lasting 12 years
- Other scholars are prepared to accept co regency for no more than 2 years since Amenhotep III’s health was failing by about year 36 of his reign and he may have wanted to secure the throne. All evidence for co-regency remains inconclusive.
4
Q
- Who was Nefertiti? Give details of her background
A
- Nefertiti was the wife of Amenhotep IV, believed to have married to him before he came to throne.
- There are no details about the queen’s background or parents but it is assumed that she came from a family that was well known in courts.
5
Q
- How is Nefertiti represented in artworks?
A
She is usually depicted wearing the elegant and distinctive crown which she initiated herself—the tall straight headdress perhaps an echo of the blue Khepresh.
- Nefertiti was depicted kingly style on the walls of temples and in statuary.
- In one scene she is depicted wearing a version of the kingly atef crown.
- The earliest depiction of her is one found in Ramose’s tomb.
- At this early date the young king and queen are represented in the traditional artistic form with wife standing demurely behind husband.
- However after the birth of her first daughter she is shown officiating as the kings equal.
6
Q
- Outline the family of Akhenaten
A
- By year 9 Akhenaten had 6 daughters (Meritaten, Meketaten, Ankhesenpaten, Nefernefruare and Setenpenre) by his queen consort, Nefertiti.
- Despite his great affection for Nefertiti Akhenaten had other wives one of whom was Kaya.
7
Q
- Who were Meritaten and Smenkhare?
A
Meritaten is daughter of Akhenaten and Queen Tiye, whilst Smenkhare, as Thomas suggests is daughter of Kiya and Akhenaten. It is generally accepted that Smenkhare and Tutankhaten were brothers, born 10-12 years apart.
8
Q
- List the evidence, which proves the identity of Smenkhare and Nefertiti.
A
- An inscription from the reign of Akhenaten described Tutankhaten as king’s son of his body.
- Since Tutankhaten was the son of a king, so too was Smenkhare.
- Also, Akhenaten would not have taken Smenkhare as his co-regent if he had been of lesser status than Tutankhaten. The remains of an Ushabti of Nefertiti prove her identity.
9
Q
- What were Ushabti?
A
- Ushabtis were small figures of the deceased person or other people such as servants, which were placed in the tomb with the mummy.
- These figures were expected to answer the call of the deceased and perform tasks for them in the afterlife.
10
Q
- What does the Ushabti of Nefertiti show?
A
- The remains of an Ushabti of Nefertiti reveal that she had not changed her name of held kingly titles when she died.
- This was indicated in the inscription and the female attire of the Ushabti.
- The Ushabti of Nefertiti also reveals that she died before her husband.
- According to Aldred, it seems improbable for her death to be after Akhenaten, for as part of Akhenaten’s new doctrine, the Osirian funeral practices were ignored in her case, however changes could be identified within Akhenaten’s death where immediately after a short permit to Osirian practices proceeded. ‘Justified’ was again added to funerary equipment, including some of his belongings.
11
Q
- What is the mystery of tomb 55
A
The identity to which the tomb belongs remains a mystery.
Unfortunately all evidence of the name of the occupant of the coffin had been removed.
12
Q
- Give details of Smenkhare
A
Smenkhare is considered to be the brother of Tutankhamun. He only ruled for 3 years and is believed to have survived Akhenaten by less than a year.
13
Q
- What happened to Nefertiti?
A
- There are many theories that suppose what might’ve happened to Nefertiti.
- Aldred believes that Nefertiti died about the same time as so many other members of her family (Year 14) and was buried as the beloved great wife of Akhenaten in the royal tomb at Akhenaten.
- Some scholars like Redford, believe that she was less prominent during the last years of Akhenaten’s reign publically than earlier times.
- Hayes believe that she became estranged from Akhenaten and retrieved to the Northern Palace and Samson proposes the theory that she had outlived her husband and continue to rule as regent for Tutankhamun the boy king.
14
Q
- What happened to Akhenaten?
A
- The only evidence of date for the final year of Akhenaten was year 17.
- There is no record of his death but he was buried in the tomb in the royal wadi east of the city he built for his ‘father’ the sun disk. His mummy was never found.
- It is assumed to have been destroyed by Horemheb who attempted to remove all evidence of Akhenaten’s reign and its association with the Aten cult.
15
Q
- Outline the 4 changes in the solar cult before Akhenaten.
A
- Re became known as the universal God.
- Thutmose IV developed a closer relationship with the Aten than his predecessors. There was a tendency during the reign of Thutmose IV to describe the sun disk as God in its own right rather than a physical aspect of Re.
- During the reign of Amenhotep the sun disk became increasingly associated with royalty, developing into a god with its own temple and priests and began to be credited with the creative powers of Re.
- Throughout this period the sun god was depicted in the traditional form of a falcon headed man with a sun disk on its head or as a winged sun disk.
16
Q
- The Hymn of the Sun disc claims the sun disc is ? List 5 things.
A
According to the Hymn the sun- disk is:
- The creator of all life
- A universal god
- A sustainer of life
- A source of power and beauty
- A remote, heavenly king
17
Q
- Outline Akhenaten’s relationship with the Aten.
A
- Evidence for Akhenaten’s relationship with his God comes from the hymns and prayers inscribed on the tomb walls of the kings courtiers.
- The relationship with the Aten and Akhenaten built a living image of the Aten on Earth, where Akhenaten was the physical son of the Aten.
- Akhenaten became the only one who knew his ‘fathers’ will, the only one whose prayers were heard and the only one to express the teachings of Aten.
- this relationship between him and the Aten reaffirmed the divinity of kingship.
18
Q
- Discuss the features of the cult
A
- There were no other gods but the Aten
- The Aten was not associated with a divine family, however it appears that Aten, the creator, was linked in a triad with his creation, Akhenaten (the male principle) and Nefertiti (the female Principle)
- The abstract symbol of the rayed sun disc replaced the cast collection of anthropomorphic deities that existed in the complex universe of the Ancient Egyptians.
- There was no mythology associated with the Aten.
- The Aten as a living god had no cult statue
- There was no need for processional festivals
- Only the king communicated directly with the Aten.
- The priests ministered to the cult of Akhenaten, the image of the disk on earth.
19
Q
- Outline the areas affected by the religious changes of Akhenaten.
A
Akhenaten’s religious revolution had an effect on:
- Temple architecture, decoration and ritual
- Art
- The kings jubilee
- The site and layout of the new capital city of Akhetaten
- The economy
- Funerary practices
- The social life of the ordinary Egyptians
20
Q
- How did temples change?
A
The traditional roofed temple with its dim interior and dark windowless sanctuary was replaced with a temple open to the sky so that the living disk could be seen throughout the day.
21
Q
- Outline the architectural features of Akhenaten’s sun temple.
A
The main features of the sun temple complexes built by Akhenaten were:
- A series of open courts each with a great alter as its focal point
- Hundreds of stone offering tables
- Colossal statues of the kings
- Reliefs of the offering and ritual and the kings jubilee
22
Q
- Give details of the sun temple complex and the great temple of the Aten at Akhenaten.
A
- Evidence from the talatat point to the existence of four sun temples built to the Aten at Thebes in the early years of Akhenaten’s reign. Of the four including, The Gempaaten, The Mansion of the Ben Ben stone, The Rud Menu and The Teni Menu.
- Apart from the Gempaaten there is no firm evidence of the purpose or location of the other three cult temples.
- The Gempaaten was a rectangular enclosure approximately 300 by 200 meters enclosed with a mud brick wall.
- The great temple of the Aten was a vast rectangular enclosure comprising several temples and 6 open courts laid out in a processional plan.
- It had a large court with lustration basins and an offering palace.
- It also included a series of five other courts each having alters and storage rooms for cult equipment.
23
Q
The TWO themes inscribed on the Aten temple walls were:
A
- The offering ritual
2. The Sed festival and other royal activities
24
Q
Explain the scenes of offering ritual
A
- In these scenes the King and queen, alone and together and sometimes with one daughter, officiate before an altar.
- Other scenes of the offering ritual show processions of servants carrying food to temples and palaces and vast quantities of beer, bread, fowl, meat and other commodities on tables and altars and in storehouses.
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11. Give details of the style of Amarna Art
* The proportions of the human figure, particularly that of the king was changed.
* Later in the reign of Akhenaten his image was less exaggerated. He was represented with a large head, long neck, narrow face and chin with pouting lips and long eyes.
* He had a narrow upper torso with a lower torso of feminine proportions emphasizing his buttocks, thighs and drooping belly.
* There was no evidence of genitals.
* It is believed that this style of depiction held purpose to Akhenaten’s intentions in creating a religious statement that he was the living image of Aten.
* By having an androgynies depiction this incorporated both male and female aspects of the creator.
* The approach overall, show that the art at this time was more realistic.
* Ordinary people also tended to be depicted in the new style but with less exaggeration than royalty.
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14. Why did Akhenaten decide to build a new city dedicated to the Aten?
* It has been suggested that he believed that the Aten deserved a special city of its own, built on a site which had never had been associated with any other God.
* The king however recorded that the Aten had revealed it to him and claimed it was where the god had appeared for the first time at creation.
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15. Where was the new city built and why?
* The city was founded in the site midway between Memphis and Thebes, near modern El Amarna.
* It is possible that he chose this location as on one of his river journeys between Memphis and Thebes, he had noticed the site and how the morning sun, rising over a break, in the eastern hills, formed the hieroglyphs for horizon.
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16. What plans did the king have for the city?
* The king announced that Aten’s city would be the new capital where his would hold audience for people form all over Egypt.
* He planned to erect buildings monumental towards Aten and wanted the royal tombs to be built on the Eastern hills, where he and his family should be brought to burial.
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17. Describe the layout of Akhetaten
* The main public buildings were located in what is referred to as the central city.
* From this nucleus the city spread along the river with satellite suburbs to the north and south and various palaces and retreats towards the limits of the city.
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19. How did ordinary people feel about the changes in religion?
The failure to set up a program of celebrating and feasting with its popular appeal would have contributed to the dissatisfaction of the populace.
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20. Why do you think Akhenaten chose to rely on new men?
Perhaps there were few sincere to the new doctrine and Akhenaten needed the support of people who would voice and agree with his passion for the Aten. His radical movement required those who were not conservative.
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1. What was the purpose of the foreign dignitaries reception in Akhenaten
* The purpose of this event is not really known. Aldred believes that it was associated with the accession of Akhenaten to sole rule.
* Perhaps the death of Amenhotep III was also the reason for the visit to Akhenaten and eventual residence there of Queen Tiye at this time.
* On the other hand the reception could’ve been instigated by queen Tiye, who was aware of the apathy of her son towards the empire and the problems that were occurring in Egypt’s Asiatic territories.
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3. To what extent do you think Akhenaten was to blame for the loss of the Empire?
The loss of the empire can be due to Akhenaten’s lack of interest military affairs, however he is not solely to blame for it was his father that induced this gradual inevitability.
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4. How did all the changes to the religion effect the economy of Egypt?
Akhenaten’s focus on religious policy had meant that trade and foreign policy would be ignored, two factors that would’ve been vital for the thriving of the Egyptian economy. Because festivals and burial practices were eradicated; jobs would be less of than before. This lack of diversity in foreign trades and little focus in militant protection due to religion, not only led to the collapse of the economy, but ultimately effecting the health of the empire which eventually collapsed under its consequences.
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5. How did all the changes to the religion effect Egypt’s foreign policy?
Akhenaten’s apparent lack of interest on military affairs is believed to have led to the loss of Egypt’s lucrative Asiatic empire. This hesitancy and lack of foresight lost him the initiative when a new force, the Hittites sought to attack this weakness. Additionally because of his religious changes, corruption began to surmount within the empire. The leaders of the Egyptian dependency of Amuru carved out an independent state for themselves and at the same time continued to send friendly letters to the Pharaoh, assuring him of their loyalty.
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7. Who was Tushratta, what was his relationship with Amenhotep and Akhenaten?
* Tushratta was the king of Mitanni. He had a close relationship with Egypt during the reign of Amenhotep III.
* After Amenhotep’s death, Tushratta sent a letter to Akhenaten saying that he was 10 times closer to him than he had been to his father.
* Akhenaten treated the Tushratta with a certain amount of indifference, refusing to honor his fathers promises to send gifts to the king and responding to his letters.
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8. Give details of the Hittite attack on Mitanni.
* Akhenaten’s lack of concern for the fortunes of Tushratta allowed the dynamic young Hittite king, Suppiluliumas to exploit the situation. After the Hittite king launched a surprise attack on Tushratta, he began to attack those cities in alliance with Mitanni, moving to northern Syria.
* The cities, which failed to give him allegiance, remained a target to this attack, and this area remained in the hands of the Hittites for the next 170 years.
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9. Outline the appeals for help and possible reasons for this reaction. (attack of Hittites on Mitanni)
* When the Hittites attacked those cities, which had been in alliance with Mitanni, the idea of becoming apart of the Hittite empire was refused by the former vassal states of Mitanni.
* They had formed an alliance against Suppiluliumas and several leaders wrote to Akhenaten pleading for help.
* Based on the former brotherhood that had existed between the kings of Mitanni and Egypt, they hoped that Akhenaten would send a military force to support them.
* The possible reasons for this reaction against the Hittites could be due to the nature of the attack, which was sudden and forceful.
* The only choice of help they had would be able to reach was to Akhenaten whom unfortunately failed to meet their pleads.
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outline the disintegration of Egypt’s empire in central Syria.
→ Prince aziru fakes loyalty to the Pharaoh, he and his son carved an independent state for themselves
→ The Hittites found Prince Aziru an effective tool in undermining Egyptian power in central Syria and they supported him in his endeavors.
Aziru began to denounce wealthy city-states of the Phoenician coast as enemies in letters to Akhenaten
→ Warlike desert tribe, Habiru, supports Aziru’s pursuits, helping him seizing control of Egypt’s coastal dependencies.
→ First city to fall to Aziru was Simyra
→ Akhenaten showed no support towards pleads of attacked cities and leaders of Sidon began to join forces with Aziru who then attacked Tyre, and Byblos next.
→ Aziru becomes a vassal of the Hittites
→ Suppiluliumas power was greater than that of Akenaten.
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11. What problems were there in Palestine?
* Princes who ruled in Palestine made frequent attempts to gain their independence from Egypt, even during the reigns of kings stronger than Akhenaten.
* Akhenaten’s hesitancy to make military action encouraged some of them to rebel and allowed the Habiru and Suti Bedouin, warlike desert tribes men, to overrun the countryside and seize towns for themselves.
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12. Why did Akhenaten not take action to save his empire?
* In the case of the Hittite’s attacks, Redford suggested that Akhenaten would have been in shortage of a militant body.
* On the other hand he might’ve been preoccupied with his new god, and therefore considered that the affairs of these northern Syrian cities were of no concern to him.
* As with in reflection to saving his empire, Akhenaten can be seen as a king who was too engrossed with the distractions of his religious duties and interests to even take notice and care.
* This contributed to the loss of Egypt’s control over Syria and Palestine.
