Amenhotep IV's Development as a Symbolic Ancient Egyptian King

In t?? ?nn?ls ?? ?nci?nt E???t, ?mi?st t?? ??l??n s?n?s ?n? t?w??in? ????mi?s, t???? liv?? ? ??????? w??s? n?m? ?c???? t?????? t?? c???i???s ?? tim?—Ak??n?t?n. His ??i?n w?s m??k?? ?? ???ic?l t??ns???m?ti?n, ?s ?? s????t t? ?????in? t?? s?i?it??l l?n?sc??? ?? E???t.

B??n ?s Am?n??t?? IV, ?? ?sc?n??? t? t?? t???n? ?? t?? mi??t? ?m?i?? ?t ? tim? ?? ????t ???s???it? ?n? st??ilit?. Y?t, wit?in t?? ????t ?? t?is ??w????l ??l?? l?? ? ???v?nt ??si?? ??? c??n??—? ??si?? t??t w??l? s???? t?? c???s? ?? ?ist???.

Ak??n?t?n w?s ?nlik? ?n? ??????? ?????? ?im. R?j?ctin? t?? t???iti?n?l ??nt???n ?? ???s w??s?i??? ?? ?is ?????c?ss??s, ?? t??n?? ?is ??v?ti?n s?l?l? t? t?? s?n ?isk, kn?wn ?s t?? At?n. In ? ??l? m?v?, ?? ??cl???? At?n t?? s????m? ??it? ?? E???t, initi?tin? ? ??li?i??s ??v?l?ti?n t??t w??l? ?i??l? ?c??ss t?? kin???m.

T?? t?m?l?s ?? t?? ?l? ???s w??? cl?s??, t??i? im???s ????c??, ?s Ak??n?t?n s????t t? ????? E???t ?? its ??l?t??istic ??st. In t??i? ?l?c? ??s? ???n? t?m?l?s ???ic?t?? t? t?? w??s?i? ?? At?n, w???? t?? ???s ?? t?? s?n w??? ??v???? ?s s?m??ls ?? ?ivin? ??w?? ?n? ?nli??t?nm?nt.

B?t Ak??n?t?n’s ?????ms w?nt ????n? ??li?i??s ??ct?in?—t??? ?xt?n??? int? t?? v??? ????ic ?? s?ci?t?. H? ?st??lis??? ? n?w c??it?l cit?, Am??n?, ???ic?t?? t? t?? w??s?i? ?? At?n ?n? ???? ???m t?? in?l??nc?s ?? t?? ?l? ??i?st????. H???, ?? s?????n??? ?ims?l? wit? ? c???t ?? l???lists w?? s????? ?is visi?n ??? ? t??ns???m?? E???t.

Y?t, ??s?it? ?is ???v?nt z??l, Ak??n?t?n’s ??i?n w?s n?t wit???t its c??ll?n??s. His ???ic?l ?????ms s???k?? ??sist?nc? ?m?n? t?? ?nt??nc??? ??i?st???? ?n? c?ns??v?tiv? ??cti?ns ?? s?ci?t?. As ?is ??w?? w?n??, w?is???s ?? ?isc?nt?nt ???w l?????, t????t?nin? t? ?n??v?l t?? v??? ???n??ti?ns ?? ?is ?m?i??.

In t?? ?n?, Ak??n?t?n’s l???c? w?s ?s ?ivisiv? ?s it w?s t??ns???m?tiv?. His ??i?n ?s????? in ?n ??? ?? ?n???c???nt?? c??n??, ??t ?is ???ic?lism ?ltim?t?l? ???v?? ?ns?st?in??l?. A?t?? ?is ???t?, ?is m?n?m?nts w??? ????c??, ?is t?m?l?s ???n??n??, ?s E???t s????t t? ???s? t?? m?m??? ?? t?? ??????? w?? ????? t? c??ll?n?? t???iti?n.

B?t ?v?n in ??sc??it?, t?? n?m? ?? Ak??n?t?n ?n?????—? t?st?m?nt t? t?? ?n???in? ??w?? ?? ? kin? w?? ????? t? ???? c?nv?nti?n ?n? ??s???? t?? ??stin? ?? ?n ?m?i??. An? t????? ?is ??i?n m?? ??v? ?n??? in t??m?il, ?is visi?n ?? ? sin??l?? ??it? w??l? l??v? ?n in??li?l? m??k ?n t?? ????s ?? ?ist???, ????v?? imm??t?lizin? ?im ?s ?n ic?nic ?i???? ?? ?nci?nt E???t.