Question:
What was the Amarna Revolution?
on
2009-07-30 19:41:09 UTC
I'm studying Ancient Egypt, and I'm trying to learn more about the Amarna Revolution but I can't find anything that really explains what went on during that time. Could anyone help?
Four answers:
James Zaworski
2009-07-31 00:23:05 UTC
The Amarna Revolution refers to the radical changes to Egyptian religion, art, architecture, politics and foreign policy instituted by the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, who changed his name to Akhenaten, and moved the capital of Egypt to present day Tel el Amarna, naming it Akhetaten.



Amenhotep IV was the son of Amenhotep III, during the most powerful part of the 18th Dynasty, where Egypt's empire was at its height. Prior to his reign, the Egyptian religion consisted on thousands of gods and goddesses, the most powerful 'king of the gods' was Amon. The temple of Amon at Karnak was the biggest in Egypt, and the priests were correspondingly very rich. The pharaoh himself was considered to be a god-king. Egyptian art and architecture was very standardized by this time.



Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten, and declared that all other gods are false, and that the one true god was the Aten, the sun's disk. He began to deface and destroy temples to other gods, and built a great temple to Aten at Karnak. The priests were displeased, and Akhenaten moved the capital from Karnak (Thebes), to the barren place in middle Egypt, where a whole new city and temple and palace were built.



The Amarna revolution included radical changes in art as well, with a more naturalistic style of art introduced. The Bust of Nefertiti is an example.



Akhenaten also didn't care about Egypt's empire, and the holdings in Asia were lost during this time.



The Amarna Revolution was short lived, however. It began with Akhenaten, and ended with him. When young Tutankhaten, who changed his name to Tutankhamon, became the new young pharaoh, he reinstated all of the old gods and restored things to the way they were before.
schwarm
2017-01-13 13:35:32 UTC
Amarna Revolution
ammianus
2009-07-31 02:20:12 UTC
The Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten decided to do away with the existing Egyptian pantheon of gods and introduce a monotheistic religion based on worship of the Aten, or Sun Disc. He had a new capital city purpose built for this brave new world at Amarna.(Hence the term Amarna Revolution).

Further, depictions in art of the Pharaoh and his family were radically different from those of previous rulers in Egypt.The Pharaoh and his family were depicted in a much more lifelike manner, and involved in everyday family activities,rather than the idealized images and standardized poses of the Pharaoh as ruler used before.So, the Amarna Revolution can also refer to a revolution in the Egyptian arts at this time.

However, Akhenaten's new ideas and religion were unpopular with the Egyptian people and especially the senior priesthood of the original Egyptian pantheon,who had enjoyed a great deal of power and influence before Akhenaten came along. Akhenaten was deposed and killed after ruling for 17 years, around 1336 or 1334 BC.
quellette
2016-09-16 07:54:54 UTC
Well I feel a couple of causes. Xtianity were round for a whilst so whilst Constantine transformed, he was once no longer changing to anything that nobody was once conversant in (or only a handful have been conversant in). People would possibly not have believed it however they weren't unfamiliar with it. It could be like announcing all of us needed to be Mormon. Most folks are mindful of the faith even supposing we aren't Mormon and don't feel. Some are already Mormons. Such was once the case with Constantine. Some humans have been already xtian. In addition, his possess mom had uncovered him to xtianity. Akhenaten was once introducing anything very new and radical within the eyes of nearly each and every Egyptian. "Just one?" have to have appeared very improper to the old Egyptians. Akhenaten was once no longer groomed for management. Constantine was once so Akhenaten did not know the way to manage the underpinnings of uprising that have been lurking. In addition to this, Constantine had GREAT manage however Akhenaten, whilst actual he was once a Pharaoh and viewed a deity himself, had angered the Temple monks who worshiped the various deities of old Egypt and the ones have been strong enemies. When he died and his younger son took over, it was once very effortless for the monks to manage the boy to convey again the historic approaches and for that reason, their vigor. It is particularly problematic however had Akhenaten lived to be one hundred it would had been MUCH exceptional.


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