Kevin's Watch

The best laid plans...

--A

Avatar wrote:Agreed. Much history, especially gong so far back, is. We have no way of uncovering the motivations of people who did things.

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I agree that we can never be knowledgeable regarding the personal motivations Akhenaten. However, the more I think on the matter, I do think it is permissible to speculate; by taking what scant knowledge we have of the time and applying it to decent theories.

Akhenaten’s and the Pharaoh’s power seemed to be hindered a great deal by the High Priests; indeed, much of what I read regarding this period in history suggests that the High Priests had more power than the Pharaoh. So in that kind of power struggle, I do not find it coincidence that Akhenaten initiated a technique to deprive the Priests of power and augment his own grip. He was bound to have advisors and allies at the time; he could not have accomplished in his establishment of this belief without the aid of friends. So, like Av, I deduce that Akhenaten did indeed conduct his actions in the method he did because he wished to diminish the High Priests power while illuminating his own.

Interesting point Darth, and quite plausible. What better way to undermine their power by superceding their religion? And what better way to get it back afterwards than for his memory to be obliterated.

--A