Figure 1.--This bust of Amenhotep III was made as a child. It is one of the great masterpieeces of charaicatureand was without precedent in Egyptian art..

Amenhotep III, son of Thutmose IV, came to the throne at a very early age, although precisely what age is unknown as is who served as regent for the young pharaoh. Yuya, father of Amenhotep III's chief wife Queen Tiye and an important military leader seems, to have played an important role in the young pharaoh's court. Queen Tiye's role as chief wife was never challenged during Amenhotep III's long reign. [Aldred p. 58.] Despite Amenhotep's many native and foreign wives, there is virtually no mention of them in the archeological record. She survived him and played an important role in the early reign of her son Amenhotep IV's (Akhenaten's) reign. Amenhotep III is one of the longest ruling pharaohs of ancient Egypt. He is believed to have ruled for nearly 40 years during one of the greatest and most prosperous times in Egyptian history. His reign is one of the longest in Egypt. It encompased one of the most settled eras of Eyptian history. [Aldred, p. 54.] There were only limited military actions under Amenhotep III. We are not sure why Egyptian expansion stalled under his reign. Perhaps it was in part because his grandfather Thutmose III had so greatly expanded the Egyptian empire. He did extend Egypt's control over Nubia to the fifth cataract. While there were few military schievements, the cultural and artistic achievements were extrodinary. The wealth of Egypt attracted the services of artisans and craftsmen from all over the Near East--greatly enriching the Egptian cultural tradition. [Aldred, p. 53.] Amenhotep III patronage for art and craft make his long rich one of he richest historical period in Egyptian history, an artistic heritage stimukated by foreign artists and art forms. The art of this period evidences one of the lonhest period of consistently high quality art ever achiebed. Artists used opulant materials and achieved notaable standards of workmanship. [Aldred, p. 58.] Egypt also attracted or broght by forced laborers, prisonors of war, mercinaries, and refugees brodening contacts with other culures. It was during the Tuthmosidies Dynasty 18 more than any other that Egypt was brought within the wider Mediterranean culture. [Aldred, p. 54.] The reign of Amenhotep III was the culmination of this. The period of territorial expansion had past, but its military strength had not yet weakened. Amenhotep III had a harem of both Egyptians and foreigners obtained through diplomatic contacts. His oldest son Thutmose apperas to have died leaving the succession to Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten one of the most enigmatic pahraohs in Egyptian history.

Parents

Childhood

Accession

Amenhotep III, son of Thutmose IV, came to the throne at a very early age, although precisely what age is unknown as is who served as regent for the young pharaoh. Yuya, father of Amenhotep III's chief wife Queen Tiye and an important military leader seems, to have played an important role in the young pharaoh's court.

Family

Queen Tiye's role as chief wife was never challenged during Amenhotep III's long reign. [Aldred p. 58.] Amenhotep III had a harem of both Egyptians and foreigners obtained through diplomatic contacts. Despite Amenhotep's many native and foreign wives, there is virtually no mention of them in the archeological record. He may have even married his oldest (heiress daughter) Sit-Amun. This was unusual even in Egypt where brother-sister marriages were common. [Aldred, p. 93.] Normally the heiress princess would have married the the expected heir apparent--often before the old pharaoh died as part of Egypt's system of coregency. Queen Tiye appears to have been quite a bit younger than her husband. She survived him and played an important role in the early reign of her son Amenhotep IV's (Akhenaten's) reign.

Reign

Amenhotep III is one of the longest ruling pharaohs of ancient Egypt. He is believed to have ruled for nearly 40 years during one of the greatest and most prosperous times in Egyptian history. His reign is one of the longest in Egypt. It encompased one of the most settled eras of Eyptian history. [Aldred, p. 54.] There were only limited military actions under Amenhotep III. We are not sure why Egyptian expansion stalled under his reign. Perhaps it was in part because his grandfather Thutmose III had so greatly expanded the Egyptian empire. He did extend Egypt's control over Nubia to the fifth cataract.

Art and Culture

While there were few military schievements, the cultural and artistic achievements were extrodinary. The wealth of Egypt attracted the services of artisans and craftsmen from all over the Near East--greatly enriching the Egptian cultural tradition. [Aldred, p. 53.] Amenhotep III patronage for art and craft make his long rich one of he richest historical period in Egyptian history, an artistic heritage stimukated by foreign artists and art forms. The art of this period evidences one of the lonhest period of consistently high quality art ever achiebed. Artists used opulant materials and achieved notaable standards of workmanship. [Aldred, p. 58.] Egypt also attracted or broght by forced laborers, prisonors of war, mercinaries, and refugees brodening contacts with other culures. It was during the Tuthmosidies Dynasty 18 more than any other that Egypt was brought within the wider Mediterranean culture. [Aldred, p. 54.] The reign of Amenhotep III was the culmination of this. The period of territorial expansion had past, but its military strength had not yet weakened.

Succession

While Amenhotep reigned for nealy 40 years, he was only about 45 years old when he died. His oldest son Thutmose apperas to have died leaving the succession to Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten one of the most enigmatic pahraohs in Egyptian history. Some Egyptologuists also behieve Amenhotep III may have fathered Tutankhamun, but there is considerable difference of opinion on this. [Aldred, pp. 97-99]

Sources

Aldred, Cyril. Akhenaten: Pharaoh of Egypt--A New Study (McGraw-Hill: New York, 1968), 272p.