Mystery of Ancient Egyptian Empire: The Napoleon of Ancient Egypt

Mystery of Ancient Egyptian Empire: The Napoleon of Ancient Egypt

By Mr Ghaz, March 16, 2011

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Mystery of Ancient Egyptian Empire: The Napoleon of Ancient Egypt

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The start of the Eighteenth dynasty under King Ahmose (ca. 1539-1514BCE) marks the beginning of the New Kingdom-the golden age of ancient Egypt. After the expulsion of the Hyksos, a series of unrelenting warrior-pharaohs campaigned vigorously and created the greatest empire yet seen.

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Ahmose was succeeded by his son Amenhotep I, who followed in his father’s military footsteps to pacify Nubia. He also founded the village of Deir el-Medina for the works who built the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, burial site of the New Kingdom rulers. The following three monarchs, all called Thutmose, were the sons of non-royal women, and strengthened their claims to the throne by marrying into the female royal line. On the sudden death of Thutmose II (ca. 1484-1479BCE), his heir was still too young to rule, and so the widowed queen, Hatshepsut, reigned as regent for around twenty prosperous years until Thutmose III, her stepson and nephew, was of age

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Egypt had become the most powerful country in the ancient world, its victories cemented by diplomatic alliances. At the center of this mighty empire stood Thebes. The city’s local god, Amun, was elevated to the status of a national deity, and as a result Amun’s clergy at Karnak grew in grew in wealth and power.

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Upon the accession of one of Amenhotep II’s younger sons as Thutmose IV, the power of the Karnak priests began to be curtailed. Thutmose IV’s son, Amenhotep III (ca. 1390-1353BCE), further distanced the crown from the temple of Amun, favouring instead the cult of the sun in the form of the Aten disk. This process was continued by Amenhotep IV, later Akhenaten (ca. 1353-1336BCE), whose extreme measures in promoting the Aten threatened the fabric of Egyptian culture. In closing down the traditional temples and relocating his capital, Akhenaten created political and economic instability that brought the country close to chaos.

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Akhenaten’s son and successor Tutankhamun restored order by returning to Thebes and reestablishing the worship of the traditional gods. The last king of the Eighteenth dynasty, Horemheb (ca. 1319-1292BCE), set about restoring Egypt’s neglected empire through reconquest-an imperialistic policy that was continued by the following dynasty, typified by Sety I and his famous son, the celebrated Ramesses II (ca. 1279-1213BCE).

Faith and Glory

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The temple of Luxor was built by Amenhotep III as a place to celebrate the annual Opet festival in which the king united with his divine ka (spirit) to strengthen his ability to rule. During the festival, the cult statue of the god Amun was carried to Luxor from the much largest temple of Amun at Karnak to the north along a processional way lined with sphinxes.

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Amenhotep’s graceful columns and interior buildings, partly decorated by his grandson Tutankhamun, were then later extended by Ramesses II in an attempt to emulate his illustrious predecessor. Alexander the Great also restored and made additions to some of the interior buildings almost a thousand year later.

The Face of Power

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Egyptian royal portraiture often displays the emblems of pharaonic power, such as the regalia of crook and flail, sceptre and mace, and the many forms of regal costume. Kings were usually depicted wearing one of a large range of crowns, most of which bore the uraeus (sacred serpent) over the brow. Upper and Lower Egypt were symbolized by the White Crown (Hedjet) and Red Crown (Deshret) respectively, while the Red and White combined (Pschent) represented the “Two Lands” of the united Egypt. The plumed Atef Crown was worn on certain ritual occasions and was associated with the god Osiris. The blue-and-yellow striped headcloth (Nemes) was popular with rulers throughout the pharaonic period. The Blue Crown (Khepresh), which was linked with the sun god, was frequently worn by Eighteenth-dynasty pharaohs.