What happened to akhenaten?

Question

i am writing a story about tutankhamun and i need to know what happened to his father. i know akhenaten was hated by many during his reign because he abandoned all but a minor god. and i know his son tutankhamun restored all the gods. but what happened to akhenaten during tutankhamun's birth and childhood? did he die? was he exiled? murdered? arrested? what happened?

Answer 1

First -- the "fact" that Akhenaten (or Amenhotep IV as he was originally know) was the father of  Tutankhamen is not fully supported by the records.  See Tut's parentage controversy as summarized in Wikipedia.  Some records indicate that Tut is a son of Smenkhkare who married Meritaten who was one of the six daughters of Akhenaten and Nefertiti.  So in that scenario - Tut would be the grandson of Akhenaten.  

None of the surviving texts and archaeological records give a clear underlying cause of his death.  Only that it would have occurred roughly during the 17th year of his reign.  As life expectancy was not all that long - his death might not have been viewed as odd.  It appears that Tut would have been 8 or ten years old only when he inherited the throne.  So, depending on your take on Tut's parentage -- you could have him living at the new capital with his "father", or "grandfather".  Maybe have his family split between son-in-law (Smenkhkare) who might believe in the old gods and Meritaten being "loyal" to her father and his new religion??  

Hope your story takes shape!  Or just "forget the "facts" and write whatever you like -- it's your story!

Answer 2

Akhenaten was certainly alive and still Pharaoh when king Tut was born, in fact Tut's original name was Tutankhaten, named for the god that his father elevated to a chief god.  Here is a link that has a pretty good history of the family, it shows how unclear the chain of events occurred leading up Tut becoming king.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhenaten

Answer 3

For a different view on this whole period, try I. Velokovsky's "Oedepus and Ahknaten"-he argues that the three Theban plays are really reworkings of the story of Ahknaten and his family.....interesting stuff.