"The man [Amenhotep IV/Akhenaton] was ready for history, but history was not ready for the man" (Bratton 178). Amenhotep IV ruled Egypt for approximately seventeen years, and in that time dramatically changed Egyptian religion. Amenhotep IV created and implemented the monotheistic practice of Atonism in an empire that had relied on polytheism for approximately two thousand years (Budge 75-77). While the practice of polytheism was discarded during his reign, the endeavor was unable to survive past the death his death. "By implementing this revolutionary ideal, the heretical king hastened his empire's end and his own tragic fate" (Bratton 85).
Amenhotep IV took the throne in approximately 1377 BCE. The pharaoh was a descendant of the divine family of Amon (the powerful deity of Thebes) (Redford 57-59). To become pharaoh, Amenhotep IV embarked on a lengthy journey in which he came face to face with the god, Amon. After this encounter, Amenhotep IV was then greeted by Amon priests where they anointed him a pharaoh and a god. However, the new pharaoh "knew he would still be the pawn and slave of the [Amon] priests" (Bratton 50). Amenhotep IV was greatly disturbed by the amount of political control the Amon priests possessed in Egypt. In order to remedy the situation, Amenhotep IV began to denounce the polytheistic religion of Thebes (http://www.akhet.co.uk). .
Egyptian society revolved heavily around polytheism. While Amon was a nationally accepted god, Amon was not the only god acknowledged by the people and the court. Each area had its own god that met its specialized needs. "The isolation of cities and towns in early Egypt naturally resulted in a multitude of gods" (Bratton 85).
During the first few years of Amenhotep IV's rule, the worship of Amon and other gods was tolerated. However, in his sixth year upon the throne, he completely denounced Amon and polytheism. First, he commanded the creation of a temple dedicated to Aton.