How Did Akhenaten Influence Egyptian Society

Akhenaten’s reign from 1352BC-1336BC is one of those studies in Ancient History that can be excruciatingly frustrating, due to sheer lack of evidence, Akhenaten just so happened to almost be erased from history. Thus accumulating contradicting interpretations of his reign and effect on Egyptian society. Eberhard Otto stating that “Akhenaten destroyed much, he created little… whatever else he may have been, was no intellectual heavyweight”. Others claim he was “the worlds first idealist… and individual”. Accentuated by his iconoclastic religious reformation and relocation of Egypt’s capital city. Through an analysis of these drastic changes, I hope to present to you a comprehensive description of his influence on Ancient Egyptian society.

Akhenaten’s

Definitely not as masculine as previous pharaohs are represented rather incorporating feminie qualities, it is agreed by historians these portrayals are a reflection of his religious beliefs. Believing he was the ‘living image of Aten’ thereby sculptors incorporate such characteristics as Aten was the creator of all life. Much of what is known about his reformation comes from inscriptions found in the tombs of his officials. Especially “The Great Hymn to Aten’ inscribed in the tomb of Ay. “O sole god, like whom there is no other” as well as the relationship between Akhenaten and Aten “there is no other who knows you”, implying that Akhenaten was the only mode of communication with Aten. This aspect prevalently effects the role of the priests, which diminished many becoming unemployed. Prior the pharaohs answered to the gods mediated between the priests, thus had substantial control over the pharaoh. Akhenaten declared himself as the ‘Chief Priest of the Aten’, much of the priest’s power was reinstated to Akhenaten. Akhenaten now the mediator between Aten, the priest’s main duties became assisting him with offerings and rituals, impacting the functionality of temples. Prayers were

Akhenaten decided to make another radical change by relocating Egypt’s capital city from Thebes the cult centre of Amun to ‘Akhenaten’ meaning ‘the horizon of the Aten’. Between Memphis and Thebes lay Akhenaten, on a site no previously established or associated with any other god. Among 7 temples the most prominent temple was ‘The Great Temple of the Aten’- a central place of worship, with its ‘unusual’ layout, it had no roof, worship was towards the actual sun. This stamped his total devotion to Aten’s ‘cult’. Surrounding the city are 14 stela carved into the cliff recording Akhenaten’s speech about the cities founding, information regarding the cities functionality is mainly derived from this. From the 9th year of his reign the whole of the court had taken residence in the city. The city, embodied with worker’s villages, military barracks, palaces, temples and administrative centres. Inhabited by only a single generation estimated at 20,000 people. Upon his death Thebes was reinstated as Egypt’s capital: the court moved back. However, recovered written documents suggest the city continued functioning for 10 more years. Destroyed by later pharaohs like the Ramesside kings, systematically resources were reused to build other projects. Images of Aten and the royal family decorating the buildings. The Amarna Letters are a series of 350 clay tablets that have been derived from the city discovered