1.0 Internal Developments
Week 3 - Reign of Amenhotep III
Syllabus:
1.1 reign of Amenhotep III Key Terms
Readings
Tasks:
"The building program of Amenhotep III highlights the extent and success of his reign." Do you agree? Discuss.
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The Amarna RevolutionSyllabus:
1.2 the Amarna 'revolution' religion, kingship, Akhetaten Key Terms
Readings
Tasks:
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The Changing Role of New Kingdom Queens
Overview of Ancient Women
![Picture](/uploads/8/1/8/4/8184194/953167204.jpg?302)
Education:
Ancient Egyptian Hierarchy
Ultimately, women were historically interpreted as, mothers or household servants. Traditionally, the most important role of royal Egyptian women, was to provide a female equivalent for the male aspect of kingship in both a practical and a religious sense. Thus, produce heirs to the throne and act as a divine consort for the King.
- As children, girls did not receive the same education as their brothers.
- Most women could not read or write.
- Rank within society was dependent on their father or husband once married (age of marriage as early as 13 years old!)
- Wealthier women were addressed by the title 'lady of the house' - in charge of the household and supervised servants or slaves in raising children, weaving, grinding wheat, cooking and sewing.
- It was not uncommon for brother/sister marriages --> these measures were taken in order to maintain heritage and lineage, the continuation of a dynasty (e.g. Tutankhamun was a product of incest and later married his own half-sister/stepmother).
- Female priestesses - worked in temples of Goddesses.
- Higher priestesses - titles include: 'divine wife of the god', 'god's hand' or 'divine adorer'.
- Other positions - professional mourners, singers, dancers, nurses, minor court officials, doctors, workship weavers, washerwoman, bakers and millers.
- Poorer women often worked in the fields or were household servants.
Ancient Egyptian Hierarchy
Ultimately, women were historically interpreted as, mothers or household servants. Traditionally, the most important role of royal Egyptian women, was to provide a female equivalent for the male aspect of kingship in both a practical and a religious sense. Thus, produce heirs to the throne and act as a divine consort for the King.
Queen Tiye (1398BC-1338BC) |
Queen Nefertiti (1398BC-1338BC) |
Married to Amenhotep III. Tiye had the same titles as Nefertari and so there was not much difference in the way she was regarded in terms of the titles she possessed. From her husband, Amenhotep III's mortuary temple, little remains but the 'Colossi of Memnon' which were two enormous statues of the king and a statue of Amenhotep and Tiye enthroned together on the same scale. This clearly emphasises her importance and great authority, much the same as Queen Nefertari. Similar to Nefertari, she was also deified and retained her prominent position during the reign of Akhenaten, her son. Due to her position, Tiye is believed to have become her husband's 'second in command' as she would have had an active role in administration, religious life and family life. As Amenhotep III is known for his diplomacy, it is unlikely that Tiye had an military involvement.
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Wife of Akhenaten (formerly Amenhotep IV), Nefertiti was a ruler of Egypt in her own right, following in the footsteps of her mother in law, Queen Tiye. She played a significant role in the deviation away from the society's norm and was deemed the "heretic queen". Her role in religion was possibly the most prominent as she was successful, with Akhenaten, in creating the first monotheistic religion to the sun disk - Aten. She is depicted in the Hewet-benben at East Karnak, a temple entirely devoted to worship of the Aten, making offerings to the sun disk with her daughter, Meritaten. Akhenaten is not depicted in any reliefs of this temple and Nefertiti appears twice as often as him in the East Karnak temples. This supports the idea that she was a significant figure of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Talatat from East Karnak and Akhetaten depict Nefertiti in pharaonic poses, such as 'smiting the enemy' and trampling enemies as a sphinx. Reliefs in private and public buildings also depict Nefertiti driving her own chariot in state processions, joining her husband in worship of the Aten and distributing honours and receiving international envoys. Nefertiti is also shown in Ahkenaten's tomb in paintings and statues playing intimately with her children thus showing her involvement in family life.
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Queen Ankhesenamun (?) |
Queen Nefetari (?) |
Wife to Ramesses the Great or Ramesses II. Queen Nefertari has also been dubbed "the living manifestation of the goddess Hathor" and served as the chief priestess. Keeping within her duties as God's Wife of Amun, Nefertari is depicted in a relief with Ramesses II, standing behind him shaking the sacred sistra that are affiliated with Hathor. This scene shows Nefertari completing her duties as the wife of the pharaoh and the fact that she was privileged enough to be present during a religious ceremony with the pharaoh is indicative of the importance of her religious role. In many reliefs in tombs, on shrines and on monuments, Nefertari has been depicted accompanying her husband on official royal business or composing correspondence of her own to neighbouring nations in search of an alliance to be made between Egypt the recipients. Queen Nefertari was given the role of Great Royal Wife and was therefore the most important woman in the pharaoh's life. The duties of the Great Royal wife encompassed accompanying her husband on important royal business, appearing beside him in statue form to show their united front and playing important roles in the religious and political aspects of life.
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