Definition: Amenhotep III, pharaoh of Egypt, from c.1417-1379 B.C. (or c. 1390-53*), built his own mortuary temple in western Thebes (Luxor), known for twin statues called the Colossi of Memnon, and began the Colonnade Hall at Luxor Temple. He married many women, including Tiye, his principal wife (but not the "Great Royal Wife"), with whom he fathered the son we know as Akhenaten (the heretic king). Amenhotep III is the grandfather of Tutankhamen. His other main claims to fame are deification during his reign and his part in the diplomatic exchange with contemporary rulers, known from the Amarna Letters. Instead of ruling all c. 38 years from Memphis, Amenhotep III moved to Malqata, on the Nile's west bank at Thebes.
Sources:
- * Mieroop
- 'Amenhotep III and Amarna: Some New Considerations"
W. Raymond Johnson
The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 82 (1996) - "The Chronology of Ancient Egypt"
K. A. Kitchen
World Archaeology, Vol. 23, No. 2, Chronologies (Oct., 1991) - Encyclopedia Britannica
- "Amenhotep" A Dictionary of World History. Oxford University Press, 2000.
- Betsy M. Bryan "Amenhotpe III" The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Ed. Donald B. Redford, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2001
Amenhotep III is on the list of Most Important People to Know in Ancient History.
Also Known As: Amenophis III,
Amenhotpe III
