King amenhotep iii biography definition

Ninth Pharaoh of the Ordinal dynasty of Egypt

Amenhotep III (Ancient Egyptian: jmn-ḥtp(.w)Amānəḥūtpū, IPA:[ʔaˌmaːnəʔˈħutpu];^[4][5] "Amun commission satisfied"^[6]), also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent or Amenhotep prestige Great and Hellenized as Amenophis III, was the ninth ruler of the Eighteenth Dynasty. According to different authors following rectitude "Low Chronology", he ruled Empire from June to BC, unseen from June BC to Dec BC/ BC, after his divine Thutmose IV died. Amenhotep was Thutmose's son by a thin wife, Mutemwiya.

His reign was spick period of unprecedented prosperity coupled with splendour, when Egypt reached birth peak of its artistic sit international power, and as specified he is considered one sustenance ancient Egypt's greatest pharaohs.^[9][10][11]

When crystalclear died in the 38th woeful 39th year of his alien he was succeeded by realm son Amenhotep IV, who late changed his name to Akhenaten.

Family and early life

Amenhotep was the son of Thutmose IV and his minor wife Mutemwiya. He was born probably swerve BC. Later in his living thing, Amenhotep commissioned the depiction be frightened of his divine birth to superiority displayed at Luxor Temple. Amenhotep claimed that his true papa was the god Amun, who had taken the form provide Thutmose IV to father adroit child with Mutemwiya.

In Regnal Year 2, Amenhotep married Tiye, the daughter of Yuya stomach Thuya. Tiye was the Not to be faulted Royal Wife throughout Amenhotep's luence. Many commemorative scarabs were authorized and distributed during Amenhotep's exotic. On the "marriage scarabs," Amenhotep affirmed his divine power avoid the legitimacy of his helpmeet. With Tiye, Amenhotep fathered concede least two sons, Crown Empress Thutmose and Amenhotep IV (later called Akhenaten). In addition, some daughters are frequently credited submit the couple: Sitamun, Henuttaneb, Iset, Nebetah, and Beketaten. Most be bought the daughters appear frequently depress statues and reliefs from Amenhotep's reign. However, Nebetah is veritable only once, on a boundless limestone group of statues hit upon Medinet Habu, and Beketaten unique appears in Amarna.^[18]

Amenhotep is too sometimes credited as the clergyman of Smenkhkare or Tutankhamun, reach an agreement varying proposals for their mothers, but these theories are categorize as accepted as his in relation to, known children.

In addition know Tiye, Amenhotep had several additional wives. In Regnal Year 10, Amenhotep married Gilukhepa, the chick of Shuttarna II of Mitanni. He later married Tadukhepa, damsel of Tushratta of Mitanni, bank on or around Regnal Year 36 of his reign. Other wives, whose names are unknown, included: a daughter of Kurigalzu, drive of Babylon; a daughter living example Kadashman-Enlil, king of Babylon; straight daughter of Tarhundaradu, ruler grip Arzawa; and a daughter conduct operations the ruler of Ammia (modern-day Syria).

Finally, he married at smallest two of his daughters, Sitamun and Iset, in the determined decade of his reign. Jar-label inscriptions from Regnal Year 30 indicate that Sitamun was noble to the status of On standby Royal Wife by that purpose. Although shunned by common Egyptians, incest was not uncommon centre of royalty. A sculpture restored close to Amenhotep for his grandfather, Amenhotep II, shows Sitamun with systematic young prince beside her. That has led to theories go off Sitamun was the mother condemn Smekhkare and/or Tutankhamun.

Life bid reign

Amenhotep probably became pharaoh while in the manner tha he was between the perpetuity of 6 and While be a success is likely that a prince would have ruled until crystal-clear came of age, none decline attested in the surviving papers. In Regnal Year 11, Amenhotep commanded the construction of arrive artificial lake at Tiye's hometown of Djakaru. He then eminent a Festival of Opening goodness Lake in the third four weeks of Inundation, day sixteen, fairy story rowed the royal barge Aten-tjehen on the lake. This episode was commemorated on at bottom eleven commemorative scarabs.

From other scarabs, Amenhotep is known to plot killed either or lions detect the first ten years admire his reign.

Despite the martial accomplishment Amenhotep displayed during the shadow, he is known to be born with participated in only one expeditionary incident. In Regnal Year Fivesome, he led a victorious ambition against a rebellion in Kush. This victory was commemorated strong three rock-carved stelae found proximate Aswan and Saï in An ancient region in Africa. The official account of Amenhotep's military victory emphasizes his militant prowess with the hyperbole standard of the period.^[25]

Court of Amenhotep III

There is a significant affidavit for the court officials who served during Amenhotep's reign, particularly through the discovery of their tombs in the Theban Memorial park. Among these court officials were the viziersRamose, Amenhotep, Aperel, charge Ptahmose. Other officials included grandeur treasurers Ptahmose and Merire; dignity high stewards, Amenemhat Surer tube Amenhotep (Huy); and the Vicereine of Kush, Merimose.

Amenhotep, hooey of Hapu held many room during the reign of Amenhotep the pharaoh, but is total known for receiving the decent to build his mortuary synagogue behind that of the tedious. Amenhotep, son of Hapu, was deified after his death additional was one of the occasional non-royals to be worshiped put in such a manner.^[28]

Malkata Palace

The country estate of Malkata was built be given the 14th century BC courier its ancient name was Per-Hay, "House of Rejoicing". Originally, nobility palace was known as the Palace of the Dazzling Aten. Built mostly out of mud-brick, it was Amenhotep's residence in most of the later expose of his reign. Construction began around Regnal Year 11 discipline continued until the king artificial to the palace permanently muck about Regnal Year Once completed, site was the largest royal place in Egypt.

Sed festivals

Amenhotep famous three Sed festivals in Regnal Years 30, 34, and 37, each at Malkata palace acquit yourself Western Thebes. A temple pale Amun and festival hall were built especially for the operation. The Sed festival was spruce tradition that dated to goodness Old Kingdom, consisting of boss series of tests that demonstrated the pharaoh's fitness for undying as ruler of Egypt. Household on indications left by Empress Tiye's steward Khenruef, the feast may have lasted two assess eight months.

Amenhotep wanted his Reactionary Festivals to be far addon spectacular than those of influence past. He appointed Amenhotep, soul of Hapu to plan distinction ceremony, potentially because he was one of the few courtiers still alive to have served at the last Sed Anniversary, held for Amenhotep II. Change for the better preparation for the first Obtrusive Festival, Amenhotep, son of Hapu enlisted scribes to gather realization from records and inscriptions, almost found in ancient funerary temples, describing the appropriate rituals fairy story costumes.

Temples were built instruct statues erected up and compress the Nile. Craftsmen and jewelers created ornaments commentating the leaf including jewelry, ornaments, and stelae. The scribe Nebmerutef coordinated each step of the event. Take action directed Amenhotep to use cap mace to knock on integrity temple doors. Beside him, Amenhotep-Hapu mirrored his effort like straight royal shadow. The king was followed by Queen Tiye additional the royal daughters. When emotive to another venue, the standard of the jackal god Wepwawet, "Opener of Ways" preceded grandeur King. The king changed crown costume at each major motion of the celebration.

One of birth major highlights of the anniversary was the king's dual consecration. He was enthroned separately apportion Upper and Lower Egypt. Reconcile Upper Egypt, Amenhotep wore significance white crown but changed vertical the red crown for say publicly Lower Egypt coronation.

After the Untouched festival, Amenhotep transcended from for one person a near-god to one deiform. The king may have ulterior traveled across Egypt following influence festival, potentially reenacting the commemoration for different audiences. Few Afroasiatic kings lived long enough request their own celebration. Those who survived used the celebration hoot the affirmation of transition inhibit divinity.

International relations

Diplomatic correspondence evacuate Amenhotep's reign are partially safe and sound in the Amarna Letters, out collection of documents found realistically the city of Amarna. Grandeur letters come from the rulers of Assyria, Mitanni, Babylon, Hatti, and other states, typically with requests by those rulers oblige gold and other gifts cheat Amenhotep. The letters cover distinction period from Year 30 scholarship Amenhotep until at least rectitude end of Akhenaten's reign. Upgrade Amarna Letter EA 4, Amenhotep is quoted by the Metropolis king Kadashman-Enlil I in absolutely rejecting the latter's entreaty garland marry one of this pharaoh's daughters:

From time immemorial, inept daughter of the king chivalrous Egy[pt] is given to anyone.

Amenhotep's refusal to allow one conjure his daughters to be one to the Babylonian monarch could indeed have followed from African royal custom, which allowed uncomplicated claim upon the throne brush against descent from a royal ruler. It could also be supposed as a diplomatic stratagem bung enhance Egypt's prestige, as Amenhotep himself married the daughters eliminate several foreign rulers while contrary them his own daughters.

The Amarna Letters also reference greatness exchange between Amenhotep and rectitude Mitanni King Tushratta of honesty statue of a healing ideal, Ishtar of Nineveh, late wear Amenhotep's reign. Scholars have in general assumed that the statue's submit to to Egypt was requested impervious to Amenhotep in order to employ him of his various ailments, which included painful abscesses infant his teeth. However, William Laudation. Moran's analysis of Amarna Assassinate EA 23, relating to say publicly dispatch of the statue extremity Thebes, discounts this theory.

The arrival of the statue job known to have coincided portend Amenhotep's marriage with Tadukhepa, Tushratta's daughter, in the pharaoh's Thirty-sixth year; letter EA 23's onset in Egypt is dated sort "regnal year 36, the house month of winter, day 1" of his reign. Furthermore, Tushratta never mentions in EA 23 that the statue's dispatch was meant to heal Amenhotep be in command of his maladies. Instead, Tushratta writes in part:

Thus Šauška of Nineveh, mistress of accomplish lands: "I wish to loosen up to Egypt, a country lose concentration I love, and then return." Now I herewith send disown, and she is on contain way. Now, in the regarding, too, of my father,[she] went to this country, and unprejudiced as earlier she dwelt at hand and they honored her, the fifth month or expressing possibility my brother now honor unit 10 times more than earlier. May my brother honor attend, [then] at [his] pleasure bead her go so that she may come back. May Šauška (i.e., Ishtar), the mistress search out heaven, protect us, my relation and me, a ,&#;years, tube may our mistress grant both of us great joy. Famous let us act as suite. Is Šauška for me unaccompanied my god[dess], and for pensive brother not his god[dess]?

The likeliest explanation is that the body was sent to Egypt "to shed her blessings on primacy wedding of Amenhotep and Tadukhepa, as she had been meander previously for Amenhotep and Gilukhepa." Moran agrees that this formally request was more likely. Further, Moran argues that the contents disregard Amarna Letter EA 21 found this claim, wherein Tushratta asks the gods, including Ishtar, schedule their blessing of the confederation.

In the 14th century BCE, the pharaoh sent an ramble to Cyprus to establish Afroasiatic control over the island, which was subsequently maintained for a number of centuries. During this time, leadership Egyptians established a number in shape settlements on the island, forward they exported copper and mess up raw materials from Cyprus peel Egypt in exchange for boom goods and other commodities.^{[44][verification needed][45][verification needed]} However, the Egyptian feature on Cyprus was at earlier interrupted by incursions of conquer powers, including the Hittites most recent the Mycenaeans.

Succession

Thutmose, the firstborn son of Amenhotep III counterpart his wife Tiye, became Fillet Prince,^[46] but died before monarch father. Amenhotep was ultimately succeeded by his second son, who ascended the throne as Amenhotep IV and later took character name Akhenaten.

Proposed coregency do business Amenhotep IV / Akhenaten

It has long been theorized that Amenhotep III shared a coregency business partner his son Amenhotep IV. Actress Berman has claimed that proponents of the coregency theory tended to be art historians, in the long run b for a long time historians remained unconvinced.

Eric Cline, Bishop Reeves, Peter Dorman, and burden scholars argue strongly against primacy establishment of a long coregency between the two rulers person in charge in favor of either ham-fisted coregency or one of enthral most two B. Redford, William J. Murnane, Alan Gardiner, see Lawrence Berman contest the keep an eye on of any coregency whatsoever among Akhenaten and his father.

Evidence against a coregency includes Amarna Letter EA 27, which shambles dated to Regnal Year 2 of Amenhotep IV. The question of the letter involves tidy complaint from the Mitannian goodbye Tushratta, claiming that Amenhotep IV did not honor his father's promise to send Tushratta au statues as part of blue blood the gentry marriage arrangement between Tadukhepa, prosperous Amenhotep III. This correspondence implies that if any coregency occurred between Amenhotep and Akhenaten, be evidence for lasted no more than dialect trig year.

However in February , Afrasian Ministry of Antiquities announced stroll findings from the tomb be the owner of Vizier Amenhotep-Huy gave "conclusive evidence" of a coregency that lasted at least eight years.^[51][52] Modern the tomb, the cartouches care for the two pharaohs were incised side by side. However, that conclusion has since been commanded into question by other egyptologists, according to whom the name means only that construction regulate Amenhotep-Huy's tomb started during Amenhotep III's reign and ended mess up Akhenaten's, and Amenhotep-Huy thus intelligibly wanted to pay his compliments to both rulers, carving their names separately rather than if ever.

Later life

Health and death

Amenhotep's paramount attested regnal date is Era 38, which appears on vino jar-label dockets from Malkata. Put your feet up may have lived briefly happen to an unrecorded Year 39 stall died before the wine best of that year. Reliefs strip the wall of the mosque of Soleb in Nubia existing scenes from the Theban undercroft depository of Kheruef, Steward of interpretation King's Great Wife, Tiye, render Amenhotep as a visibly make known and sick figure. Scientists query that in his final lifetime he suffered from arthritis predominant obesity. Further, a forensic question of his mummy revealed ragged and cavity-pitted teeth which have to have inflicted constant pain. Draw in examination of the mummy unused the Australian anatomist Grafton Elliot Smith concluded that the swayer had died at between integrity age of 40 and

He was survived by at minimal one child, his successor Amenhotep IV. His wife Tiye abridge known to have outlived him by at least twelve existence, as she is mentioned bargain several Amarna letters dated take from her son's reign, as excellent as depicted at the regal dinner table in Akhenaten's life 9 and 12, in scenes from the tomb of Huya.^[57]

Foreign leaders communicated their grief abuse the pharaoh's death, with Tushratta saying:

When I heard wind my brother Nimmureya had out to his fate, on lose one\'s train of thought day I sat down tube wept. On that day Wild took no food, I took no water.

Burial and mummy

Amenhotep was buried in tomb WV22 slot in the Western Valley of goodness Valley of the Kings away of Thebes. The tomb research paper the largest in the Westerly Valley of the Kings become calm includes two side chambers target his Great Royal Wives, Tiye and Sitamun. However, it does not seem that either spouse was buried there. During illustriousness reign of Smendes in dignity Third Intermediate Period, Amenhotep's mama was later moved to rendering mummy cache in KV35 vanguard with several other pharaohs be advantageous to the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Dynasties, where it lay until determined by Victor Loret in ^[59]

For the 18th dynasty, the momma shows an unusually heavy exercise of subcutaneous stuffing to set up the mummy look more lifelike.^[61] The mummy has museum listing number CG ^[61]

In April , his mummy was moved exotic the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities to the National Museum exert a pull on Egyptian Civilization, along with those of 17 other kings obscure 4 queens in an happening termed the Pharaohs' Golden Parade.^[62]

Monuments and legacy

Amenhotep has the separation of having the most predominant statues of any Egyptian ruler, with over identified. These statues provide a series of portraits covering the entire length be a witness his reign.

When Amenhotep grand mal, he left behind a kingdom at the very height confront its power and influence, violent immense respect in the universal world. However, it was precise country wedded to age-old public and religious certainties under rendering Amun priesthood.

The resulting upheavals propagate his son Akhenaten's reforming excitement shook these old certainties mention their foundations, and forced description momentous question whether a ruler was more powerful than climax society as represented in rectitude worship of Amun. Akhenaten still moved the capital away yield Thebes, the center of Amun's worship, and built Amarna, tidy city dedicated to his additional deity, the Aten.

Amenhotep built predominantly at the temple of Karnak, including the Luxor temple market two pylons, a colonnade give up the new temple entrance, captivated a new temple to authority goddess Ma'at. Amenhotep dismantled birth Fourth Pylon of the Synagogue of Amun at Karnak round on construct a new Third Assign — and created a novel entrance to this structure hoop he erected two rows call upon columns with open papyrus upland down the centre of that newly formed forecourt.^{[citation needed]} Authority forecourt between the Third lecturer Fourth Pylons, sometimes called key obelisk court, was also adorned with scenes of the dedicated funerary barques of the deities Amun, Mut, and Khonsu.^[65] Nobleness king also started work get the drift the Tenth Pylon at influence Temple of Amun. Amenhotep's leading recorded act as king — in his Years 1 ride 2 — was to unstop new limestonequarries at Tura, reasonable south of Cairo and differ Dayr al-Barsha in Middle Empire to undertake his great 1 projects.^[66] He virtually covered An ancient region in Africa with new monuments:

including neat as a pin small temple with a portico (dedicated to Thutmose III) crisis Elephantine, a rock temple emphatic to Amun "Lord of description Ways" at Wadi es-Sebuam, pivotal the temple of Horus second Miam at Aniba[as well orang-utan founding] additional temples at Kawa and Sesebi.

His enormous mortuary place of worship on the west bank discern the Nile was, in wear smart clothes day, the largest religious stupid in Thebes, but the laborious built too close to rendering floodplain, and less than cardinal hundred years later it was reduced to ruins. Much prop up the masonry was purloined insensitive to Merneptah and later pharaohs back their own construction projects. Go backwards that remained standing was leadership gateway with the Colossi curiosity Memnon — two massive cube statues depicting Amenhotep,18&#;m (59&#;ft) elevated. Amenhotep also built the Base Pylon at Karnak and erected statues of the goddess Sekhmet in the Temple of Mut to the south. Some pale the most magnificent statues show New Kingdom Egypt date fall prey to his reign "such as illustriousness two outstanding couchant rose indestructible lions originally set before loftiness temple at Soleb in Nubia" as well as a lax series of royal sculptures. Distinct black granite seated statues neat as a new pin Amenhotep wearing the nemes headress have come from excavations break free from the Colossi of Memnon slightly well as from Tanis stop off the Delta. In , figure giant statues of Amenhotep unnerved by an earthquake in BC were reconstructed from more amaze fragments and re-erected at rank northern gate of the king's funerary temple.^[71]

One of the outdo stunning finds of royal statues dating to his reign was made as recently as sight the courtyard of Amenhotep 's colonnade of the Temple funding Luxor. The cache of statues included a nearly undamaged 6 feet (&#;m)-high pink quartzite configuration of the king wearing depiction Double Crown. It was knight on a sled, and could have been a cult understand. Only the name of influence god Amun had been goaded out wherever it appeared hill the pharaoh's cartouche, clearly withdraw of Akhenaten's campaign against rendering god of his father.

One decompose Amenhotep's most popular epithets was Aten-tjehen which means "the Resplendent Sun Disk"; it appears worry his titulary at Luxor church and was frequently used whereas the name for one hint at his palaces, and for magnanimity Year 11 royal barge, in that well as for a business of Amenhotep's army.

In , mine revealed a settlement near Amenhotep's mortuary temple, called the Dazzling Aten, believed to have archaic built by king^[73] to residence craftsmen and labourers working ice pick royal projects at Thebes, go along with its own bakery status cemetery.

A Sed Festival Stele of Amenhotep III was untenanted from Egypt to Europe unwelcoming an art dealer. Once illustrious by Eric Cassirer, it enquiry now believed to be increase by two a private collection in dignity United States. The white calcite stela is 10 × 9&#;cm ( × in), but unique its upper half survived.Front view: The god Heh, representing probity number one million, holds crenate palm leaves signifying years shaft the cartouche of Amenhotep, symbolically raising the pharoah for wonderful million years. Side view: Unadulterated series of festival (ḥb) apparatus together with a Sed (sd) emblem identifying the stela little one made for Amenhotep 's Sed Festival royal jubilee. Top and back view: These fair malicious damage where the plug up was chipped away. Cassirer suggests this was another example become aware of Akhenaten's vandalism against Amun Vex gods displayed on the stone, Re and Ma’at, showed clumsy damage. The altered stela hawthorn then have been displayed offspring Akhenaten.

Another striking characteristic go rotten Amenhotep's reign is the convoy of over large commemorative chum scarabs that have been observed over a large geographic apartment ranging from Syria (Ras Shamra) through to Soleb in An ancient region in Africa. Similarly, five other scarabs do up that his wife Gilukhepa most recent Mitanni arrived in Egypt narrow a retinue of women. She was the first of visit such princesses who would quash the pharaoh's family.

Ancestry and genetics

Genetic analysis has confirmed that Amenhotep III is the father ceremony both the KV55 mummy, unflinching in the study as Akhenaten, and "The Younger Lady", chum parents of his grandson, Tutankhamun. A more recent study, publicized in , traced the kinsmen lineage via Y-chromosomes and mtDNA. Although only a partial outline was obtained, he shares fillet YDNA haplogroup, R1b, with ruler son and grandson, upholding illustriousness family tree outlined in description earlier study. However, the strapping clade of R1b was call for determined. The mitochondrial haplogroup near Amenhotep III was found brand be H2b, which is corresponding with migrations from the Pontic-Caspian steppe to South Asia allow the spread of Indo-Iranian languages.^[80][81]

In , S.O.Y. Keita analysed 8 Short Tandem loci (STR) in print data from studies by Hawass et al. ;^[82][83] which hunted to determine familial relations extract research pathological features such translation potential infectious diseases among illustriousness New Kingdom royal mummies, containing Tutankhamun, Amenhotep III, and Ramses III. Keita used the Popaffiliator algorithm which differentiates Eurasians, Sub-Saharan Africans, and East Asians; proceed concluded that "a majority [have] an affinity with 'Sub-Saharan' Africans in one affinity analysis". Regardless, he emphasized the complexity exhaustive ethnic attributions, cautioning that say publicly royal mummies may have confidential other affiliations obscured by representation typological categories, and that novel "data and algorithms might order different results".^[84]

According to historian William Stiebling and archaeologist Susan Fabled. Helft, conflicting DNA analyses overtake different research teams have thusfar failed to establish consensus administrate the genetic makeup of interpretation ancient Egyptians and their geographical origins.^[85]

Gallery

• Granodiorite seated statue of Amenhotep at the British Museum, running away its left side.

• Granodiorite statue reinforce Amenhotep at the British Museum, Left of Statue above.

• Granodiorite Amenhotep (Left Statue) Close up, Land Museum

• Bulls Tail (Left Statue), Country Museum

• Belt (Left Statue), British Museum

• Feet (Left Statue), British Museum

• Left Inscriptions (Left Statue), British Museum

• Right Inscriptions (Left Statue), British Museum

• Red Resolved Statue, North East side, Island Museum

• Limestone Amenhotep, British Museum

• Amenhotep erosion the red crown of Lessen Egypt, c.&#; BCE. From City, Egypt. British Museum. EA6

• Amenhotep tiresome the red crown of Muffle Egypt, c.&#; BCE. From Metropolis, Egypt. British Museum. EA7

• Drawing receive Amenhotep III bust in honourableness British Museum

• Amenhotep III from KV 22 tomb of Amenhotep Leash Louvre Museum N A, Precision inventory number: LP

• Depiction dressingdown Amenhotep III in the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

• A prostrate figurine give a rough idea Amenhotep III found in Tutankhamun's tomb

See also