Akhenaten c. 1352–1336 BC
Born Amenhotep IV, he put the sun disc, the Aten, above all other gods, changed his name and built a new capital at Amarna. Art of his time shows the royal family in relaxed, everyday scenes.
Birth name (changed): Akhenaten
ꜣḫ-n-itn: “Effective for the Aten”
Sign by sign
- Flowering reed M17i The sound i.
- Bread loaf X1t The sound t; also the feminine ending.
- Ripple of water N35n The sound n; also means 'of, to'.
- Sun N5rꜥ The sun, the sun god Ra; day.
- Crested ibis G25ꜣḫ Spirit; to be glorious (as in Akhenaten).
- Ripple of water N35n The sound n; also means 'of, to'.
Names of gods (Ra, Amun, Ptah) are written first out of respect, even when they are read later. Dates are approximate; we follow Ian Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000).