Akhenaten - A Pharaoh Obsessed - Extra History

📜 Akhenaten: A Pharaoh Obsessed - A revolutionary dreamer or a tyrannical despot? That is a question at the heart of Akhenaten's rule, a pharaoh so unusual, that his successors tried and almost successfully erased him from the historical records. You may know his more famous wife, Queen Nefertiti but Akhenaten was a fascinating ruler. He went against the grain of almost all of Egyptian traditions including trying to establish a monotheistic religion and unite the kingdom Upper and Lower Kingdoms of Egypt.

#ExtraHistory #Egypt #History

[extrahistory]

What do you all think of Akhenaten? Was his attempt to change Egypt's religious and political structure admirable or foolhardy?

[josephattwell]

The story of Akhenaten's attempted erasure makes you wonder how many people were successfully erased from all of history.

[peterk.]

feeling cute, might purge the priesthood and start a monotheistic sun cult later idk

[hlibushok]

It's kind of weird that Akhenaten was preceded by more or less famous Amenhotep III, married with one of the most popular queens of Egypt - Nefertiti, and was succeeded by the very popular Tutankhamun, yet we know almost nothing about him. Those priests, trying to erase him from history, really did a great job.

[Blackstormeagle]

"Praise the Sun!"
"Sir we lost territory in-"
"Praise the Sun!"
"Sir we are nearly out of money-"
"PRAISE THE SUN!"
"Sir we need you to focus on matters of state-"
"I SAID PRAISE THE GOD DAMN SUN!!!!"

[pippingtonne]

a small footnote: tutankhamun was born tutan*aten*. he changed his name when he ascended the throne to show everyone that, yeah, he wasn't going to keep that whole mess going at all.

[MrV]

2:30 "Amarna" is actually the current Arabic name of the city. Akhenaten called the city "Akhetaton" which actually means the Horizon of Aten.

[dbilly]

I like how nobody seems to have mentioned it but his son, who made Amun the main God again? Yeah, he's *that* Tutankhamun.

[khaledaref]

Imagine working hard to build a pyramid in the end aliens get all the credit

[mutantmaster]

"Lemme just instal monotheism as the main religion!"
"Sir, we've been polytheistic for thousands of years!"

[natkatmac]

4:55 I wrote a paper on Akhenaten a few years ago for college. It's a fact that he was born deformed and in constant pain from all the blue blood incest. The elongated chin, paunch, and other features were true to how he really looked, compared to the idealized/unrealistic carvings of pharaohs before him.
My theory is that since he was a deformed, weaker second child, his big brother likely got the lion's share of attention growing up. With this lack of love or confidence from others, he had to turn to other sources. Aten was a counter religion with an all-knowing god, a perfect savior for him.

[semc]

A new Extra Credits video!

I'm all Set to Bast in its glory

[dorkfish]

I love how the son of the pharoah who egypt wanted to forget is so immensely famous.

[natashaphoenix]

I’m writing an 8 page research paper on the Aten Cult and this helped SO MUCH!!! Thank you!!!

[garen]

Brain: why would you call a place "thieves"
Then the map shows up
Brain:oh "Thebes"

[garabic]

Akhenaten to Egyptian Gods: im about to end this mans whole career

Egyptian Gods: *pulls out an uno reverse card*

[kelbybrewer]

*Egypt, circa 1300ish BCE*
"Shut up about the Sun! Shut up about the Sun!

[skykid]

When's the part where he invents children's card games?

[danielchand]

I'd love a series, or at least one video, on Hatshepsut, the young girl who came a successful Egyptian Pharaoh. Her life was fascinating. #1 on my list of coolest Kings.

[thevoidlookspretty]

He was also a really annoying assassin’s creed boss.