ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt family tree

Okay kiddo, let's talk about the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt family tree. You know how you have a family tree that shows how everyone in your family is related? Well, the Egyptians also had a family tree that showed how their rulers were related.

The family tree for the eighteenth dynasty is a bit complicated, so let's break it down. At the very top of the tree is a man called Ahmose, who was the first pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty. He had a son named Amenhotep I, who became the next pharaoh.

Now, Amenhotep I didn't have any sons, so when he died, his brother-in-law Thutmose I became the next pharaoh. Thutmose I had a daughter named Hatshepsut, who became one of the most famous pharaohs in Egyptian history.

When Thutmose I died, his son Thutmose II became pharaoh. Thutmose II was married to his half-sister Hatshepsut, but he also had a son with another wife named Thutmose III.

When Thutmose II died, Hatshepsut became the ruler even though Thutmose III was technically the heir to the throne. But when Hatshepsut died, Thutmose III finally became pharaoh.

Thutmose III had lots of children, but the most important for our family tree is his son Amenhotep II, who became pharaoh after him. Amenhotep II had a son named Thutmose IV, who became pharaoh when Amenhotep II died.

Thutmose IV had a son named Amenhotep III, who became one of the most powerful pharaohs in Egyptian history. Amenhotep III had lots of wives and children, but the most important for our family tree is his son Akhenaten.

Akhenaten is famous for being the pharaoh who tried to change the religion of Egypt to worship only one god, instead of lots of different gods like they had been doing for thousands of years. Akhenaten had several daughters, but no sons. When he died, his son-in-law, Tutankhamun, became the next pharaoh.

So there you have it, kiddo! The family tree of the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt is a bit complicated, but it shows us how all the rulers were related to each other. Pretty cool, huh?