Essay Assignment
The essay should be 2-3 pages long, double-spaced. To write the essay I would like you to address the following points:
* Give a BRIEF overview of what the term Amarna Revolution entails.
* Give an account of the principals and their policies, both religious and other policies. The Amarna Revolution does not only involve the introduction of Monotheism and of the god Aton. It also brought about other changes, including the transfer of the Egyptian capital to the new city Akhenaten and the new artistic styles.
What were the results of the Amarna Revolution? Did it last? What happened and when?
* Was there a long-term impact? Please, do NOT confuse the introduction of Monotheism by Akhenaten, who was by all accounts eccentric, if not outright nuts and a very bad ruler for Egypt, which was invaded by external enemies during his reign and whose economy suffered. Some students in the past have associated Akhenaten's Monotheism with Christianity, so they wrote essays beginning with "Unfortunately, Akhenaten's reforms failed." Do not do that.
Akhenaten's Monotheism has the same connection to Christianity as emperor Caligula's desire to establish himself as a sole god. Monotheism did not come as a result of human evolution. You should also refrain from describing the Egyptian economy in modern terms, like debt or GDP, etc. Anachronisms and imagined pasts lead to bad essays and low grades!
Text Book: Book: Ian Shaw, Ancient Egypt. A Very Short Introduction, pages 144-149.