• kronisk @lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    5 months ago

    But you can’t control people with that concept, because you can’t control the sun.

    Oh, so Akhenaten couldn’t control people?

      • kronisk @lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        5 months ago

        Well, Michelangelo got paid for painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel as well. Who’s “they” and what’s your point?

        • rekorse@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          4 months ago

          That people weren’t tricked into work. They were paid for it and likely held great pride in it.

          • kronisk @lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            4 months ago

            I reacted to, paraphrased: “you can’t control people with sun worship”.

            During his reign, Akhenaten instated monotheistic worship of Aten - the sun disc - and did away with all other gods worshipped in Egypt at that time. Whether or not the workers who built his monuments were paid well I do not know - I suspect you have the Diary of Merer in mind, but remember that Khufu’s and Akhenaten’s respective reigns were more than a thousand years apart - as a pharaoh, Akhenaten could most certainly control people. And if you believe religion can be used as a means to control people, this is definitely a historic example of sun worship being used to this end, wouldn’t you agree?