Horemheb

A general turned pharaoh who erased the traces of the Amarna period and restored the traditional order.

Life

General

Horemheb was born a commoner and served as commander of the army under Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. After the deaths of Tutankhamun and his successor Ay, he took the throne.

Reform and erasure

He issued decrees to reform the administration and punish corruption, rebuilt the neglected temples of Amun, and ordered Akhenaten's temples torn down. He struck the names of Akhenaten, Tutankhamun and others from the king lists, joining his own reign directly to that of Amenhotep III.

Succession

Having no son, he passed the throne to the veteran general Ramesses I, beginning the Nineteenth Dynasty.

Legacy

Horemheb ended the religious turmoil of the Amarna period and laid the groundwork for the zenith of the Ramesside dynasty.

Did you know? He built himself a general's tomb at Saqqara, then after becoming pharaoh built a separate royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings, leaving the first one unused.

Key dates

• 1323 BCETakes power after Tutankhamun's death (approx.)
• 1319 BCEAscended the throne (approx.)
• 1292 BCEDied; succeeded by Ramesses I