Amenhotep III and Akhenaten, co-regency theory

Before moving to the reign of Akhenaten, it should be pointed out that ‘There is much debate about when his rule started. Some suggest he was Amenhotep III’s co-regent for up to 12 years; others think Amenhotep III died before his son took over’ (http://books.google.co.za/books?id=JADDYAZ9GIIC&pg=PA199&lpg=PA199&dq=amenhotep+iii+iv+co-regent&source=bl&ots=071zZVA-nD&sig=cNv_RhGWv7X9eKIZZUqDDRXuVT4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KawpU-7QMYPKhAe1jIGQAQ&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=amenhotep%20iii%20iv%20co-regent&f=false). While art historians tend to argue for co-regency theory ‘ because this would explain the mixture in artistic styles’ (ibid) during the overlapping period between Amenhotep III and Akhenaten, other scholars who work with written sources ‘see no conclusive evidence for co-regency, certainly not one that lasted more than a couple years’ (ibid). Now, it would be worthwhile to apply the given account – Amenhotep III died in 1353 BC at the age of 45 – to the theories above:

If the co-regency lasted for 12 years, it must have started when Amenhotep III was about 33 years old. Given another factor that Akhenaten was the pharaoh’s second son, his birth can hardly be traced back to the time before his father was 14 years old at least. However, being the ‘second son’ doesn't necessarily mean that he was the ‘second born’ child among his siblings including four sisters. If Queen Tiy gave birth one child every year since her husband turned to 13 years old, at the time when the sixth child was born, the pharaoh must have been the age of 18. If Akhenaten was the fifth or sixth child, when the co-regency began, he was most likely in his age of 16 or 17. The same calculation applies to the case where the co-regency of two years; he was 26 or 27 years old whilst his father was 43, and the case where there was no such thing as the co-regency; he was older than 29 years old when his father died at the age of 45, respectively. Therefore, by simply calculating possible ages of the pharaoh and his son, it would be safe to say that technically all theories can not be rejected in this criteria alone.

Amenhotep III

  
In addition, as for the later years of Amenhotep III, it is argued that ‘to judge from his last portraits, (Amenhotep III) suffered a lingering malady of some sort which slowly killed him, so it would make sense that, as his health declined, he handed at least some of the reins of government to his chosen successor’ (http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/1320Hist&Civ/chapters/10AKHEN.htm). This allegation has been even endorsed by examinations of his mummy, however, others oppose against this argument by pointing out that ‘the identity of his mummy is uncertain’ (http://books.google.co.za/books?id=JADDYAZ9GIIC&pg=PA199&lpg=PA199&dq=amenhotep+iii+iv+co-regent&source=bl&ots=071zZVA-nD&sig=cNv_RhGWv7X9eKIZZUqDDRXuVT4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KawpU-7QMYPKhAe1jIGQAQ&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=amenhotep%20iii%20iv%20co-regent&f=false).

For reading the text in full: http://wrex2009.wordpress.com/2014/06/01/akhenaten/