Akhenaten biography summary page by date

Akhenaten , known as Amenhotep IV at the start of his reign, was a Pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt. Amenhotep IV succeeded his father after Amenhotep III's death at the end of a year reign, possibly after a co-regency between the two for up to 12 years. Suggested dates for Akhenaten's reign subject to the debates surrounding Egyptian chronology are from B.

Akhenaton was vilified by his successors for his neglect of the traditional religious cult and as a heretic in introducing monotheistic reforms. He was all but struck from the historical record. However, he remains a figure of great interest and at least one writer decribes him as the most original thinker of all the Pharaohs.

Akhenaten children

His exclusive worship of one God and advocacy of universal values represent an early expression of what was later championed by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The possibility that he made some contribution to the development of the three Abrahamic or Semitic faiths and their ideas, although unacceptable to many people, cannot be ruled out.

The possibility that monotheism somehow and for some reason inspired him is a fascinating proposition, suggesting that a single divine will is to include all nations and cultures and people in his embrace. The short-lived nature of his reform was caused by his neglect of politics and of the economy, which unfortunately declined during his reign.

This serves as a lesson that internal or spiritual affairs need to be balanced by care of external, material concerns. Akhenaten is also remarkable for having afforded his chief wife considerable authority, which has been described as unprecedented in Egyptian history.