Thutmosis III

Not going to lie, I have had a love/hate relationship with Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 my whole life 😂 – I know that sounds weird to say about a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 who I clearly have never met, but it’s the only way I can describe it!! This piece is in the MET, and the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are inscribed so beautifully on it! Definitely very eye-catching!

When I first started learning about Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓 as a kid, I was (and still am!) so completely fascinated by her and how she became the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. Since Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 was a child when Thutmosis II 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓈖 died, Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓 became the co-regent, until she named herself the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and pretty much “took the throne.” Since females were never in line for the throne, even though Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓 was the daughter of Thutmosis I 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓂓 and his main queen 𓇓𓏏𓏏𓈞, she was never in line to be pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

So why my love/hate relationship with Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣? Well, for the longest time it was thought that after Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 death, when he relcaimed the throne, Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 had Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 monuments destroyed and her name erased from as many things as possible. Did he actually do this? Scholars aren’t sure it happened to the extent that it was once thought. But I don’t think we will ever have an answer.

What were some of Thutmosis III’s 𓇳𓏠𓆣 accomplishments? He was a great military leader and conquered all of Syria. This is in great contrast to Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓, who focused more on trade and economic endeavors than military campaigns.