Amenhotep III: The Man Who Ruled Egypt in Peace and Prosperity
Amenhotep III was the grandfather of the famous King Tut or Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
Unknown to many, Amenhotep III is one of the pharaohs who had the most prosperous reigns in the history of ancient Egypt.
Who Was Amenhotep III?
Amenhotep III was the ruler of Ancient Egypt, from 1391 BC to 1353 BC, at the height of the empire’s power and prosperity. Amenhotep III was a skilled negotiator and politician who helped Egypt establish itself as a major economic power.
Early Childhood
Amenhotep III was the son of Thutmose IV and a minor wife named Metemwiya. He was also called Amenophis III, Amana-Hatpa, Nebma’atre, and Amunhotep III. All of these names originated from the word “Amun,” who was Egypt’s state god. It was often the case for pharaohs to relate themselves closely to a god.
In addition, Amenhotep III claimed that he was the son of the god Amun. According to images that he commissioned depicting his birth, it was shown that Amun himself transformed into his father, Thutmose IV, during his conception.
When Pharaoh Thutmose IV died in 1391, his son, Amenhotep III, ascended to the throne and began his 38-year reign. According to scholars, he was around 7 to 12 years old when he became the ninth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty.
The King and His Wife
King Amenhotep III married Tiye, who became the Great Royal Wife and played a key role in helping the pharaoh manage the kingdom.
Although Amenhotep III's wife, Queen Tiye, was a commoner, she belonged to the upper class of society. When her noble parents, Yuya and Tjuyu, agreed with her betrothal to the king, they had Tiye prepared for her role as a queen. She had been well educated and was said to even have her own library.
Queen Tiye proved to be a valuable addition to the monarchy. Pharaoh Amenhotep III recognized this and included her in almost all aspects of governance, whether it be home or foreign affairs. It is seen in royal couple statues that Queen Tiye and Amenhotep III were of the same height, indicating that the bond they shared was equal.
This was concluded as there were discovered seals with Queen Tiye’s royal cartouche that were used as papyri’s seal. Through Amarna letters it was revealed that she communicated with foreign leaders, suggesting that she knew foreign languages, including Akkadian.
The Royal Family
The power couple of the 18th Dynasty had six children together, which included two sons, namely, Thutmose and Amenhotep IV, and four daughters, Sitamun, Iset, Henuttaneb, and Nebetah. While the majority of the children frequently appear on statues together, there are only a few in which Nebetah and Henuttaneb are present.
Thutmose became a priest and should have been the heir to the throne, but he died at a young age. Amenhotep IV inherited the crown, became the 10th pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, and later adopted the name Akhenaten. Meanwhile, Sitamun and Iset eventually married their father. Their sisters Henuttaneb and Nebetah were not mentioned after their father’s death.
Amenhotep III’s Consorts
Multiple Wives
As it was customary in Egypt, pharaohs had a lot of spouses. Amenhotep III cleverly took advantage of this tradition. Being a skilled diplomat, he built alliances with surrounding nations by giving them lavish gifts and marrying princesses and daughters of their leaders. By doing so, he successfully widened Egypt’s influence and established favorable trading connections with nations that were once hostile.
When Amenhotep III was roughly in his 10th year as pharaoh, he repeatedly made several requests to the King of Mitanni from northern Mesopotamia for a princess to marry. He sent them lavish gifts, including gold, to persuade them.
With a train full of a large entourage of 317 women, Gilukhipa, the daughter of King Shuttarna II, was dispatched to Egypt. Her arrival in Egypt was recorded in scarabs. Amenhotep III included his impression that Gilukhipa’s arrival was a marvel.
Amenhotep’s multiple wives included Tadukhipa from Mitanni and others with no recorded names, such as a princess from Arzawa, a daughter of Babylon’s King Kurigalzu, and Kadashman-Enlil’s daughter. Despite marrying all of these princesses and daughters of powerful leaders, Tiye remained as the Great Royal Wife and Amenhotep’s principal consort.
Supportive Wife
Queen Tiye and Pharaoh Amenhotep the Third shared a unique connection.
This was observed in the discoveries made by historians that Tiye had exercised significant influence at court and was oftentimes included in official documents, which had never been done before.
Following the celebrated arrival of Princess Gilukhipa, it was seen on the surviving scarabs that Tiye received an extraordinary gift from Amenhotep III: a man-made lake near her hometown.
Intermarriage
In order to preserve royal lineage, incest was not uncommon. Although many historians believe that their marriage was just symbolic, this was frowned upon by other non-royal Egyptians. During the last decade of Amenhotep III’s reign and at Jubilee celebrations, he married his daughter Sitamun in Year 30 and his daughter Iset in Year 34.
After the pharaoh’s death, the two daughters disappeared from history, but Tiye remained. When her son, Amenhotep IV, later known as Akhenaten, became pharaoh, Tiye assumed the role of royal mother and stayed in court.
Reign
When Amenhotep III succeeded his father, Thutmose IV, Egypt was already prosperous and at the height of strength and power. This was a period in ancient times described as Egypt’s greatest era, a time of luxury and great splendor. This was due to the numerous significant relationships that previous pharaohs had established.
New Territories
Egypt’s power was at its pinnacle under his reign. Although Amenhotep III ruled the lands as far as the Euphrates to the Fourth Cataract of the Nile, or from Syria to Sudan in modern-day, there were little to no military campaigns, only minor ones in Nubia that needed little of the pharaoh’s attention.
This was delegated to be handled by the viceroy of Kush and was successfully carried on. After capturing new territories that were rich in gold, Amenhotep III ruled in peace, focusing on growing Egypt’s wealth and establishing its economic power.
One of the most notable aspects of this reign is that it was well documented. Queen Tiye and Amenhotep III were meticulous in keeping records of their dealings with foreign affairs. This was discovered by scholars through the vast collection of Amarna letters that detailed their correspondence on negotiations with their allies.
Scarabs to Declare the Victory
To commemorate Amenhotep III’s achievements and important events, numerous scarabs were made during his reign. These scarabs served as a newsletter for spreading the king’s achievements.
The inscriptions were carved on soapstone, often representing a milestone. More than 200 of these have been scattered and discovered in Persia, Nubia, and other Egyptian sites. Amenhotep III also dedicated scarabs to validate his marriages.
The scarab amulets illustrating a successful wild bull hunt, depicting the pharaoh and his army slaughtering hundreds of wild bulls, are the most famous scarab amulets of Amenhotep III. The gruesome depiction was used as a hidden warning that anyone who attempted to revolt would suffer the same fate as the bulls.
Respect to Tiye
Throughout Amenhotep III’s reign of 38 years, he conducted three Jubilee celebrations also known as Sed festivals. According to Egypt’s ancient history, Tiye was the first queen to be included in these rites. There was no record if the other wives joined in these festivities as well, but scholars believed that these celebrations reflected Egypt’s united monarchs with the goal of further elevating them.
Queen Tiye was seen as superior to all the other wives, as there are statues of both Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye together depicting them as extraordinarily youthful, which shows the regeneration said to be due to the jubilee rites.
Amenhotep III saw the rising power and influence of priests almost rivaling that of the pharaoh. To ensure loyalty, he employed his relatives to work at temples. The pharaoh shifted the focus of the people by undermining the Egyptian priests and exaggerating Ra’s spiritual value. By controlling Egypt’s religion, he was able to keep control of the country.
Religion
Even before Amenhotep III inherited the throne, the cult of Amun was already gaining influence and power in Egypt. As land ownership was a sign of enormous prosperity and Amun’s priests had already amassed as much property as the monarch, their money and power were inextricably linked. In accordance with traditional religious procedures, Amenhotep III did not interfere with the priests’ work in order to avoid causing conflict and dividing the country.
Pharaohs are known to link themselves to religion with a favorite god, and for Amenhotep III, it was Aten, the sun god. It is said that this might have been with the motive to seize power from the priests of Amun, however, he did not succeed as the cult of Amun continued to flourish, posing a threat to the throne’s power and the royal family.
This was probably what pushed Amenhotep III’s son, Amenhotep IV, also known as Akhenaten, to abandon polytheism during his reign.
Accomplishments
Construction of Temples
Amenhotep III is well remembered for the prosperity, political stability, and a massive number of monuments that were created under his reign.
Some of ancient Egypt’s most beautiful complexes were constructed during his rule, one of which was the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III called Luxor Temple.
The Luxor Temple is located at Thebes, on the east bank of the Nile, where it became the most famous and renowned temple. It was constructed using Nubian sandstone blocks and was surrounded by walls made of bricks. This symbolized the division between the world and the god’s realm.
Throughout the New Kingdom, temples were built as sites of religious worship and were devoted to specific Egyptian gods. The Luxor Temple was built in honor of Amun, the king of the Egyptian gods.
Successive pharaohs continued to build this, and some of the names may be found carved on the columns inside the complex. However, the names of some of the pharaohs were scratched off and replaced with those of other pharaohs, reflecting the pharaohs’ competitive spirit.
Unfortunately, an earthquake severely damaged this massive structure, leaving just a few parts standing. In addition, future pharaohs would steal the site for its sculptures and stones to build their own monuments, and Nile floods would further ruin the site. Some of the remains are Amenhotep III’s two colossal sculptures that still stand at the site’s original entrance.
Construction of a Palace and Statues
Apart from the temples dedicated to Ra and Amun, Amenhotep commissioned several statues, the majority of which were of himself and his family. This included the Colossi of Memnon, two 60-foot statues of Amenhotep III. Unsurprisingly, these sculptures, along with a total of 250 other statues, made Amenhotep III the pharaoh with the most surviving statues.
Amenhotep III also built a palace for his wife, Queen Tiye. It is located in Malkata, where a man-made lake was also said to have been created in a span of 15 days. It was said that Amenhotep III resided here permanently during the latter part of his reign.
The palace was also connected to the Nile by a harbor called Birket Habu, while a network of waterways connected the palace to the temples at Karnak and Luxor.
How Did Amenhotep III Die?
Amenhotep III’s reign ended in 1353 BC when he died at the age of 50; the cause of his death was never revealed. Although many statues of the goddess Sekhmet, who was known for her immense healing power, were discovered around, it is suspected that he died of a long-term illness.
Amenhotep III was shown as a frail and sickly man in scenes drawn on the wall of the temple of Soleb in Nubia, as well as in depictions from the Theban tomb of Kheruef, steward of the King’s Great Wife, Tiye.
His mummy also revealed that he appeared to have developed arthritis, was obese and was constantly suffering in pain due to his severely damaged teeth.
Amenhotep III death was survived by his son, Amenhotep IV, and his wife, Queen Tiye. Queen Tiye was known to have lived approximately 12 years longer than Amenhotep III, as her presence was still seen during her son’s reign.
Amenhotep IV, who later changed his name to Akhenaten, became the next pharaoh.
Tomb
The burial temple of Amenhotep III was the largest funerary temple ever built, covering 86 acres. His image was replicated throughout the temple complex, with enormous statues flanking the entrance. He constructed this in order for his soul to be worshipped for all eternity. Nonetheless, during his lifetime, priests were employed inside the temple, which was controlled by the pharaoh.
Shortly after his death, Amenhotep’s tomb was robbed. To secure his mummy, priests moved him. In 1898, scholars uncovered the pharaoh’s mummy, as well as other royal mummies, including an unknown woman with flowing hair, in KV35, the tomb of his grandfather, Amenhotep II.
Thanks to DNA tests, the mummy, originally known as the Elder Lady, was identified as Queen Tiye, who was reunited in death with her husband. Amenhotep III's mummy was buried in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings, known today as WV22.
Background Information
Although the kingdom was already thriving in wealth and power due to his predecessors’ efforts, when he ascended to the throne, Amenhotep III took a step further to ensure that this would continue.
The Great Royal Queen Tiye and Pharaoh Amenhotep III together ruled Egypt for 38 fruitful years from 1391 BC to 1353 BC. Egypt further grew into a massive empire, experiencing a golden age in the18th Dynasty. After a few successful military expeditions, riches from the nearby lands of Levant and Nubia flowed in, giving Amenhotep III’s reign the resources to build a period of creating numerous grand monuments.
The Egyptians were hard believers in the afterlife. It can be seen in their devotion to making temples and offerings to please their gods. When Egypt grew powerful under Amenhotep III’s reign, so did the clergies and religious leaders.
Toward the end of Amenhotep III’s rule, conflicts arose, and corruption started to creep in. Religion became Egypt’s weakness. The very same thing that was supposed to bind them was slowly tearing them apart.
Conclusion
Amenhotep III ruled Egypt during the New Kingdom 3,500 years ago, one of the wealthiest and most tranquil eras in Egyptian history. The following are some of the most important characteristics of his reign:
When his father died, he became pharaoh at the age of 12.
He married Tiye, a highly educated commoner, and appointed her to be the Great Royal Wife.
By undermining the Egyptian priests and exaggerating Aten’s spiritual value, he maintained his authority over the Egyptian people through their faith.
By marrying the daughters of their kingdoms, he maintained favorable trading connections with Syria and Babylon.
Amenhotep III is especially remembered for the numerous monuments he erected during his reign, including the Temple of Luxor in Thebes.
Amenhotep III’s reign came to an end when he died in 1353 BC, and his son, Amenhotep IV, who later changed his name to Akhenaten, became his successor.
He was buried in the Valley of the Kings (WV22).
Amenhotep III left a legacy of peace and prosperity for the Egyptian people, as well as a period when the civilization’s arts and architecture reached new heights. He was considered one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs.
