akhenaten the heretical

the eighteenth dynasty was a particular high point during the old kingdom in ancient thebes. amunhotep III was staunch and did what he had to do and used whatever means to sustain it. he was good at it. he was good at traditional things too. he was a steadfast and invenerate pharaoh. he had to be. very few civilizations could be compared to ancient egypt. 
this isnt being written to dictate what perspectives and opinions are. opinions and different perspectives are a natural thing. and, as adults, we should clearly know that and understand that. religious-related matters can be a personal issue. and (most importantly) this is not for everybody and, not in any way, intended for everybody nor everyone.
amunhotep IV was unlike his father. definitely. in a number of ways. amunhotep III was much more adamant. amunhotep IV definitely was not as much as a traditionalist. there were a lot of things he didnt seem to give a damn about. he was more like a misfit. in a number of ways. his peculiarity was his epithet. so amunhotep IVs brother was supposed to step up in the place behind amunhotep III. it was only right. and natural. yes. but he dies early. prematurely. sadly. very unfortunately. so it goes to the non-traditionalist. the misfit. but how? he still doesnt think like a traditionalist. he thinks more like a heretic. controversy.
ancient thebes was very multi-cultural. in several ways. they handled multi-culturalism correctly and appropriately. which isnt a easy thing to do. but they did it right. extraordinarily. indeed so. in their form of multi-culturalism the different cultures included and different cultures involved brought out the best in one another. indeed. without just all the petty quarrels and jealousies. multi-culturalism has been fucked up miserably plenty of times. its not easy getting something like that to work and work well. theres no arguing that. but somehow they did. amazingly. it was wonderful. very few civilations could be compared to or compete with ancient egypt.
amunhotep IV becomes pharaoh. and engages with the deity known as the aten. a solar disk. a abstract solar deity. its a refulgence god. the aten is both mother and father. the aten is represented by a symbol. that symbol had meaning to it and with it. the new pharaoh chooses a controversial way. he converts. no longer amunhotep IV. instead, now akhenaten. filled with controversy.
after the conversion comes on thats what ensues. the name change is a heavy indicator of that. one conversion made to one deity. akhenaten follows the fledgling theology of monotheism. but why? controversy ensues.
so much of ancient egypt believed in, practiced, and followed polytheism. that was tradition. they worshipped and acknowledged and recognized a wide multitude of gods. operating like a pantheonic delegation through different elements and paradigms. they were ensconced under gods and deities like bannu, aker, and ptah. indeed so. so why change that? a good question.
monotheism means one theism. or one source. or one law. that all things fall under and serve. each aspect of the one law corresponding to the next and to another. so, in essence, fire doesnt repel ice but work in conjunction in accordance to how a system is supposed to function. monotheism means one law. as in, if one tenet of that law is traduced then the entire thing has been traduced. what do they make of this? so much controversy.
polytheism, on the other hand, deals with how that same one law can be percieved or interpreted different ways. or through different lenses. its not just believeing in a assortment of gods. the ancient egyptians were far too fucking brilliant to reduce themselves to just a narrow and limiting perception of something as broad as theism. there was more to it than that and they knew it. much of what it was was common sense. polytheism embraces the notion that there might be different amplitudes and how it might be relevant. so dont apply modern ignorant shit and stupid thinking to that of a more reverent age. its not the fucking same! remember that.
it has to do with theism and deism. look at it that way. so much of what it was was actually common sense. theism is believeing in one Almighty Heavenly creator in a personal and uniquely distinctive way. deism is believeing in a historical, remote Almighty Heavenly creator that doesnt interfere or engage in the creation because the creation already has and already has been given everything in place as needed and as required to sustain itself totally. its some really religious kind of shit.
but is polytheism and monotheism really more related than different? maybe not complete or total opposites? just not entirely the same. which it isnt exactly supposed to be. take a look. fucking think about that. if polytheism, particularly back then, pertained to a wide range of various locutions of thought. so wouldnt that make monotheism another form of a derivation of different kinds of personal beliefs? the same way polytheism means a multitude of gods as well as a multitude of belief systems to connect with those gods. much controversy. just another one of the conundrous things they tackled back then. much much controversy.
knowing this whole monotheism thing is compounded in controversy akhenaten makes a move. he picks up the kingdom and moves. its not normal. its typically not what a pharaoh does. they just dont. and to where? north. to amarna. many of those that go know this is loaded with controversy. because monotheism is seen as such a controversial step. but many of those that went knew that where they were wasnt working for them anyhow. and why not try something different if where they were was just keeping them in the same place? so to amarna the kingdom shifted. the aten will show the way. the aten is both mother and father.
after establishing it they burgeoned. their learning flourished and the art developed. egypt was already multi-cultural but now it was even more laudable. so much potential. for the converts it felt fresh. there they painted pictures, wrote hymns that they all merrily sang together, and shared amongst one another. gladly. and what else? and brought out the best in one another. one conversion made to one deity. the converts expressed themselves and their various talents how they wanted to. with no need to be inhibitive. because the aten understands. the aten supports. the aten rewards. the aten brings justice. the aten is both mother and father. they were fueled by the aten. indeed so. what else? the converts could admire their beauty and various talents. certainly. they were very very very beautiful people. ancient egypt had some of the most astoundingly breath-takingly beautiful people that have ever existed or have ever been. its not hard to see that. just look at their skin color and their skin complexion. purely breath-taking. the meaning of aestheticism. seriously.
akhenaten was electrically enigmatic. a uproarious spirit. a royal badass. he was daring. how else could it have happened? he wasnt a traditionalist. he didnt see warfare the way his father did. and wasnt driven by the same things his father was driven by. no. akhenaten saw a different way to excel. he was a hymnist. he knew that the beauty of his nation and the beauty of his people was powerful and very meaningful. he saw the currency that perpetuates within beauty. and what it could do. so, why not express it? they did. in so so many glorious and glamorous ways. yes. they were very very very beautiful people. ancient egypt had some of the most breath-takingly beautiful fucking people that have ever existed or have ever been. its not hard to see that. just look at their skin color and their skin complexion. purely breath-taking. ensconced under the aten. they served their deity.
but despite the extravaganza it was still regulated. certainly. it wasnt just hallucinatory awe and heretical bedazzlement. it wasnt lawlessness. it was actually properly regulated. for instance, akhenaten had just two wives. believe it or not. but how? he couldve had many many more. absolutely!
eventually akhenaten starts to feel that monotheism presents challenges. how it can maybe be tough. its not exactly entirely a easy thing to deduce. how it can maybe be tough. how some just dont get it. or wont get it. it can still be good of course. when done right. when done properly. its labrynthine. eventually the kingdom would return to worshipping and acknowledging a multitude of gods. like before. the gods are important. the pantheonic delegation. recognizing that, in some instances, in their society its just more suitable. and, at times, just more practical.
akhenatens son would go on and convert back to the traditional polytheistic multitude of gods system. he would also later be assassinated. 
akhenaten did what he could to advance egypt and its unique culture. for where else could so many layers of art affix so cohesively but egypt? but sticking to the warfare traditions of his father and past pharaohs wouldntve helped. he knew it. indeed. he amassed a fortune. theres no doubt about that. he knew what controversy was about. the pharaoh akhenaten raised a significant abberation. as far as monotheism as well as the multitude of gods which was historically traditional. such a conundrous equivocation. he was a colorful and phenomenal pharaoh. he had a ostensible flavor. a heretic. that did a good job. a good one. not a salient one. indeed. no question about that.