Horemheb... who?
Confession time: many years ago, I read a fictional story about Nefertiti. She was a young queen trapped in the world of a deranged king who was transforming Egypt’s religion from the popular and traditional polytheistic one to a not so popular monotheistic one. At the time, I was interested in all things Egypt and that’s why I picked it up. I was also a teenager, so when the inevitable romantic link between the queen and a soldier in the army - Horemheb- rolled round, I was even more interested.
Fast forward to my mid 20s when I was in Egypt and found myself in KV57 - the royal tomb of Horemheb. Hang on! Royal tomb? I thought he was a soldier in Akhenaten’s army? (refencing a romance novel was pretty pathetic and something my travel mates did not let slide by!) Fortunately, in the very tomb of Horemheb, I learned the truth about the soldier who became pharaoh after one of the most fascinatingly tumultuous times in New Kingdom Egypt.
Fast forward to now. For the last week, I’ve been reading up on Horemheb as part of the first unit in my Masters of Ancient History. When I saw him on the list as a research option, I jumped - here was my chance to get up close and personal with the Egyptian I first discovered as a teenager and whose tomb I had visited…. many years ago!
Horemheb was the heir designate to pharaoh Tutankhamun. He was also his commander in chief. Prior to that, he probably served in the military during the reign of the ‘heretic’ pharaoh, Akhenaten - Tutankhamun’s father. So, when the rebel king died, his young son, all of nine years old, became pharaoh. Enter Horemheb as the young man’s mentor. In his tomb in Saqqara, there are a number of inscriptions like, “Hereditary Prince, Fan Bearer on the King’s Right Hand and Chief Commander of the Army…” , “…He was sent as King’s messenger as far as the sun disc shines…”, - impressive! Horemheb would have been involved in the rapid restoration of the traditional religion and reestablishment of Egypt’s borders and foreign policy, after it was left to slide by Akhenaten. When Tutankhamun died at aged nineteen he left no heirs, and after dealing with a usurper, Horemheb found himself on the throne of Egypt and the last of a long dynasty. The soldier becomes a pharaoh.
After reading about him and revisiting his tombs, I feel a renewed soft spot for Horemheb and I wonder why he is not as well known as the infamous pharaohs who preceded him, and the famous ones who succeeded him? Could he be a victim of his own good governance? Does the shining light of Ramesses II and the shocking rebellion of Akhenaten dull the lights of those in between?
In 2011, The Department of Egyptian Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art held a symposium on Haramheb. Experts gathered to share new discoveries and revisit this overlooked leader. The lectures are fascinating and serve to highlight how amazing the man must have been and how interesting his life and career still are.
So, what ancient figure did you discover in your teenage years and have you had the chance to revisit them and learn more about them? Do tell.
Go forth and conquer.
