Ankhesenamen
Ankhesenamen, meaning "she lives for [the God] Amon," was a notable figure in ancient Egyptian history, recognized as the third daughter of the heretic pharaoh Akhenaton and the wife of Tutankhamen. Initially named Ankhesenpaaton, her identity reflects the religious transformations during her father's reign, which emphasized the worship of the sun disk, Aton. Following Tutankhamen's death, she may have married his successor, Ay, although historical records indicate some ambiguity regarding her marital status, as Ay’s first wife, Tiy, is also mentioned in various contexts.
Ankhesenamen's story includes a significant political maneuver wherein she sought an alliance with the Hittite king Suppiluliumas I by requesting one of his sons in marriage, which suggests her ambitions to secure her position and potentially influence Egypt's religious landscape. However, this correspondence, which reflects her strong character, may have inadvertently contributed to the decline of Akhenaton’s monotheistic religion. The annals of the Hittites mention a tragic outcome where a prince sent to Egypt was murdered, indicating the turbulent political environment of the time and possibly the machinations of Ay's supporters to eliminate threats to his rule. Overall, Ankhesenamen's life encapsulates the complexities of royal lineage, political alliances, and the interplay of religious beliefs in ancient Egypt.
Ankhesenamen
Related civilization: Pharaonic Egypt
Major role/position: Queen
Life
Ankhesenamen (ahn-kehs-uh-NAHM-uhn), or “she lives for [the God] Amon” (originally called Ankhesenpaaton, or “she lives for the Sun disk Aton”), was the third daughter of the heretic pharaoh Akhenaton and the wife of Tutankhamen. She may have also married Tutankhamen’s successor, Ay—her cartouche sits beside his on a glass ring in the Berlin Museum. Elsewhere, however, Ay’s first wife, Tiy, appears as his consort.
The Hittite annals offer a clue about Ankhesenamen’s possible fate. They state that the widowed Egyptian queen Dahammunzu wrote to the Hittite king Suppiluliumas I asking for one of his sons in marriage. The widowed queen, whose name is really a title meaning “the royal wife,” has been identified as Ankhesenamen, widow of Tutankhamen. The annals relate that a prince was dispatched to Egypt but that he was murdered en route. In all probability, Ay’s supporters eliminated both the groom and the bride to protect his accession.
Influence
Ankhesenamen’s correspondence with the Hittite king, a sign of her strong character, may have aimed at salvaging Akhenaton’s religion by making an ignorant foreigner king. Unfortunately for his followers, her gambit seems to have sealed the religion’s doom.
Bibliography
Desroches-Noblecourt, Christiane. Tutankhamen: Life and Death of a Pharaoh. New York: Penguin, 1989.
El Mahdy, Christine. Tutankhamen. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999.
Green, L. “A ‘Lost Queen’ of Ancient Egypt, King’s Daughter, King’s Great Wife, Ankhesenamen.” KMT 1/4 (Winter, 1990-1991): 23-29, 67.