Ankhesenamun was the half-sister and queen of the well known Tutankhamun from Ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom. After Tut died, his vizier Ay (speculated to be the father or uncle of Nefertiti) buried him and took the title of pharaoh. However, it may not have been a smooth transition.
In the Hittite capital of Hattusa, letters have been uncovered from an Egyptian queen whose husband recently died. She speaks of not wanting to marry “a servant” and asks the Hittite king to send her a son she can marry instead. While the queen’s name isn’t known, the consensus is that she was Ankhsenamun, looking to avoid marrying Ay to legitimize his takeover (any second husband she had would have a strong claim). Eventually the Hittite king sent a younger son named Zannanza, but he died on the way, generally thought to have been murdered by Egyptians. Ay is the main suspect, although some believe the general and future pharaoh Horemheb had him killed, fearing foreign influence in Egypt. Regardless, Ankhesenamun’s gamble failed and she was forced to marry the much older Ay.
Slow_Fish2601 on
GRRM you filthy copycat
Moose-Rage on
I recently learned about this historical mystery. It’s very fascinating.
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Ankhesenamun was the half-sister and queen of the well known Tutankhamun from Ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom. After Tut died, his vizier Ay (speculated to be the father or uncle of Nefertiti) buried him and took the title of pharaoh. However, it may not have been a smooth transition.
In the Hittite capital of Hattusa, letters have been uncovered from an Egyptian queen whose husband recently died. She speaks of not wanting to marry “a servant” and asks the Hittite king to send her a son she can marry instead. While the queen’s name isn’t known, the consensus is that she was Ankhsenamun, looking to avoid marrying Ay to legitimize his takeover (any second husband she had would have a strong claim). Eventually the Hittite king sent a younger son named Zannanza, but he died on the way, generally thought to have been murdered by Egyptians. Ay is the main suspect, although some believe the general and future pharaoh Horemheb had him killed, fearing foreign influence in Egypt. Regardless, Ankhesenamun’s gamble failed and she was forced to marry the much older Ay.
GRRM you filthy copycat
I recently learned about this historical mystery. It’s very fascinating.