by
Damien F. Mackey
Conventionally, about three
decades separate the death of the revered scribe
and sage, Amenhotep son of
Hapu (d. 1356 BC) from the beginning of the reign
of Aye, or Ay (c. 1326 BC).
Despite that, the impressive titles borne are similar.
Hopefully, I have been able to
lift away the heavy veil that enshrouds the famous, but most enigmatic,
Amenhotep son of Hapu, chief official of the Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh
Amenhotep ‘the Magnificent’, by identifying him with the similarly enigmatic
and supposedly ‘obscure’ prince Amenhotep who became pharaoh Akhnaton:
Akhnaton not obscure before he
became Pharaoh
(18)
Akhnaton not obscure before he became Pharaoh
Now, given the likenesses of the extraordinary
titles borne by Amenhotep son of Hapu and those borne by Aye,
who seems to emerge to prominence from out of nowhere, I today (27th
March, 2026) have begun to wonder if there might be a most significant extra
dimension to the composite Amenhotep-Akhnaton in the form of Aye.
Titles
Amenhotep, Vizier and
Chief Architect, accrued an ever-expanding array of titles throughout the
extensive and prosperous reign of Amenhotep III, ultimately solidifying his
status as the quintessential statesman:
Military Titles, including: Chief of the
Memphis Army, Chief of Recruitment, Governor and Scribe of the Soldiers…
Religious Titles, such as: Priest Shem,
First Prophet of Athribis, Great Celebrant of Amun, Intendant of the flocks of
Amun…
Civil Titles, comprising: Royal
Scribe, Head of the Census, Head of Public Works, and most notably, Head of all
the King’s work, which elevated him to the position of royal architect—a title
he seemed to hold with great pride.
Courtly Titles, denoting his close
relationship with the monarchy, such as: Friend of the King, Bearer of the
Royal Seal, Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King, Administrator of the
estate of Sitamun, daughter of Amenhotep III.
Count, Sole
Companion, Fanbearer on the King's Right Hand, Chief
of the King's Works, Royal Scribe, Scribe
of the Recruits, Overseer
of the Cattle of Amun in the South and
North, High
Priest of Horus at Athribis, God's Father, and Steward of Princess-Queen Sitamun.[1]
Aye was:
- Overseer
of all the horses of his majesty
- Troop
Commander
- Overseer
of horses
- Fan-bearer
on the right side of the king
- Acting
scribe of the king
- Grand
Vizier
- Father
of the god
- Shem
priest.
Amenhotep, Aye,
in common: Grand Vizier; Army Commander; Fan-bearer on the right side of the
king; Scribe; Father of the god; shem priest, etc.
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