Amenhotep III

Amenhotep III was the ninth king of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt, who ruled from c. 1386 to 1353 BCE. He was the son of Thutmose IV and Mutemwiya, and married Tiye, a commoner who became his chief queen and the mother of Akhenaten. Amenhotep III was known as a peaceful and prosperous ruler, who expanded diplomatic relations with other powers and undertook extensive building projects in Egypt and Nubia. He claimed to be the son of the god Amun, who had taken the form of his father to impregnate his mother. He also celebrated his divine birth and his sed festival in elaborate ceremonies at Luxor Temple. Amenhotep III was a patron of art and culture, and his reign is considered one of the peak periods of ancient Egyptian civilization. He died in his late 40s, probably of natural causes, and was buried in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. He was succeeded by his son Akhenaten, who initiated a religious revolution that rejected the worship of Amun and other gods in favor of the sun disk Aten.