in the issue regarding the impact of the amarna period, you have to assess how each sucessive Pharaoh has reacted to Akhenaten and his changes. For example, following the amarna period no single god was ever stressed again. ie Seti's temple to Osiris had like 8 chapels dedicated to himself, osiris, isis, horakhte etc. The focus was on "Many gods", and although amun made a comeback his priesthood was never as powerful as it had been in the years leading up until "the rebellion" (as the ramessides knew the amarna period to be).
oh and although Akhenaten has been labelled a 'pacifist', and it seems as though he was "too caught up in religious reforms to go on military campaigns" his reign was not deviod of military activity. In year 5 he smashed the Numbians and impaled a number of the captives. Whilst Akhenaten was in power only a small amount of land was lost in Northern Syria. The fact that he he only emarked on one punitive expedition, doesnt mean he had a lack of interest in diplomatic affairs. He maintained good relations between Egypt and its neighbours through letter writing, diplomatic marriages and foreign receptions (ie the political durbar of year 12 as depicted on the walls of the tombs of Meryre II and Huy).. sorry this is helping me study as i am getting information out.. has anyone got any interesting quotes for ahkhenaten's reign? this is my funniest:
J Pendlebury - "the impression that the art and civilization of amarna gives us is that of an ephemeral butterfly age with that total lack of moral standards usually associated with happy morons". lol can u beat it?
