Before the Throne

20

HORUS HERALDED, “King Amenhotep the Third and Queen Tiye!”

The royal couple came in, advancing in their shrouds until they halted before the throne.

Then Thoth, Scribe of the Gods, read aloud, “Queen Tiye was invited to rule alongside the king, whose era was one of such strength and prosperity as never had been seen before, while Egypt drank in the goods and wealth of the world. Meanwhile, Amenhotep III remained effectively vigilant over his empire. He put down any rebellion anywhere it arose, enjoying life as no pharaoh had done before him. He built palaces and temples, and displayed a fondness for food, drink, and women. In his final days, he married a daughter of the king of Mitanni who was the same age as his grandchildren, and who brought about his demise.”

Osiris then invited the king to speak.

“I inherited the empire from my mighty grandfather, Thutmose III,” said Amenhotep III, “and I was determined to inherit his greatness, as well. At that time there was no space for the empire to expand, so instead I reinforced its allies and crushed those who rose up against it. I displayed my greatness through a campaign of construction, and by providing material comfort to the masses. I defied tradition by marrying a woman from the common people: she was an outstanding partner for me in ruling the country, in the charm and wisdom that she brought to me. In the end, I left behind me an age that remains a byword for happiness and plenty.”

“I was pleased by your testimonial to the queen’s qualifications to rule,” lauded Hatshepsut. “That is a witness to the competence of women as a whole, and an eloquent response to the attacks against them by their enemies.”

“Tiye was a magnificent queen,” agreed Amenhotep III, “according to the testimony of her enemies even before that of her friends.”

“Yet you humiliated her in the most despicable way with your insatiable lust for other women,” decried Abnum.

“Every king has his harem,” Amenhotep III replied. “These fleeting passions did not diminish the great role of the queen.”

“And you wed in your senility a woman the age of your granddaughter?” continued Abnum.

“I wanted to strengthen the ties between Egypt and Mitanni,” said Amenhotep III.

“Lies are forbidden in this sacred hall!” Osiris warned him.

“In truth,” Amenhotep III answered apologetically, “I had heard of her unsurpassed beauty, and I was insane about this quality. Despite illness and old age, I overindulged in love until it undid me.”

“Was this the acme of your long life’s wisdom?” the Sage Ptahhotep needled him.

“Death by love is fairer by far than death by illness,” said Amenhotep III.

Osiris asked Queen Tiye to speak.

“The king made me his wife out of love,” she began. “I was drawn intensely to him, panting with passion and the splendor of Pharaoh. Love bound us together from then on always.”

“One day he consulted me about some of his business as king, and my opinion deeply impressed him. ‘You are a truly wise woman, as much as you are a much beloved female,’ he told me.”

“From that day forward, he never resolved an issue without first hearing my view, and we began to receive the ministers and other officials together. I employed my own personal vision in handling the business that came to our attention. Every high office holder in the kingdom acknowledged my ability and sagacity — the priests rushed to me for guidance when the religious crisis sparked by my son Akhenaten’s creed grew out of control. I worked as hard I as could to avoid the catastrophe and prevent civil war.

“As for my husband’s obsession with other women, all kings have their concubines. Not only should a wife refrain from plotting her revenge on this score — it is also no shame for her to select his beauties for him, until he purges himself clean, restoring his sense of well-being. Through the force of my will as an exceptional woman, I triumphed, contenting myself that a queen is no ordinary female when responsible for her husband’s policies.”

“Was the queen never vanquished by the woman in you?” Hatshepsut put to her.

“I never knew defeat, except before my son.”

“But a woman is still a woman,” insisted Ptahhotep.

“Yet Tiye was of a kind never seen before — nor shall occur again,” the queen replied.

“This lady has proven the worthiness of woman to rule even more than Hatshepsut herself had,” advised Isis. “Her husband was a great king, and how preposterous that his appetite for women or taste for the pleasures of life in any way reduced his performance as pharaoh. Only after he had made his lowest subjects happy did he live a life of comfort and ease, in which they also shared with him. My heart is gladdened by this son and this daughter.”

And so Osiris commanded them, “Go take your seats among the Immortals.”