Akhenaten+Liza+Randman

Historians define greatness in a leader according to several criteria. The most important is leaving a legacy which influences the development of some aspect of society for many generations. Based on this definition, I, Akhenaten, am truly the greatest leader of the ancient world. Although my radical shift in the basic philosophies of religion and art did not survive in Egypt after my death, my idea of monotheism became the most important religious concept for the world in future centuries, and my contributions to art and architecture were significant. In fact, because of my incredible insight and vision, monotheism becomes the primary philosophy underlying all major religions in the world, and realism in art becomes a goal for many cultures in the future. I, Akhenaten, am the greatest ruler because I was ahead of my time with my innovative ideas.

When I became pharaoh in 1353 BC, Egyptians worshipped many gods and the high priests had excessive power. In order to undermine the power of the priests, I changed the religion in Egypt from polytheistic to monotheistic led by Aten the sun god. As pharaoh, I was Aten’s son, so by making him the only god, I increased my own power as well. Along with being Aten’s son, I was the only human that could talk to him, lowering that status of preists. I accomplished this amazing feat by wiping out all references to the old gods and destroying their temples.I then proceeded to move the capital of Egypt to Armana, where I built new temples to worship Aten.

For centuries, my predecessors wanted only perfect images that did not show any flaws or individuality. During my reign, I encouraged artists to convey images that were realistic rather than idealistic. I demanded that sculptures should look like as much the subject as possible. Like my idea of monotheism, this idea of showing individuality did not survive long after my death. However, both of my incredibly foresighted ideas became the standard for religion and art in later years.

Therefore, it is clear that I am the greatest ruler of the ancient world. Even though my ideas were before my time, i created a legacy that would change religion and art forever. My ideas have stuck around for a very long time, much longer than any other rulers, so I am the greatest ruler.