# The Heretic King: Possible Diagnoses of Pharaoh Akhenaten

## TL;DR

This paper examines theories about Pharaoh Akhenaten's unusual appearance and concludes it was likely a deliberate political choice, not a medical condition.

## Contribution

The paper provides a critical review of historical medical diagnoses of Akhenaten and challenges their validity.

## Key findings

- Previous medical theories about Akhenaten's appearance are not supported by evidence.
- The pharaoh's unusual imagery was likely a deliberate political and religious statement.
- No conclusive medical condition explains Akhenaten's artistic representation.

## Abstract

Akhenaten, the heretic pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, is one of the most infamous figures in ancient history. His unprecedented break with over a thousand years of tradition, along with the unusual impression he left on the archaeological record, has prompted generations of Egyptologists to propose theories explaining the bizarre depiction of the pharaoh’s anatomy. In this paper, we review the various diagnoses that have been suggested to account for Akhenaten’s appearance. We ultimately conclude that his distinctive imagery was almost certainly a deliberate propagandistic choice by the monarchy and did not reflect any underlying medical condition.