Editing Horemheb (section)

==Early career==
[[File:Horemheb Ashershow1.JPG|thumb|left|150px|A statue of Horemheb as a scribe]]
Horemheb is believed to have originally come from Hnes,{{efn|''Hnes'' is the city's ancient Egyptian name; it was later called ''[[Heracleopolis Magna]]'' by classical authors; its modern name is ''Ihnasya el-Medina''.}} on the west bank of the [[Nile]], near the entrance to the [[Faiyum]], since his coronation text formally credits the god [[Horus]] of Hnes for establishing him on the throne.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Alan |last=Gardiner |author-link=Alan H. Gardiner |title=The coronation of king Haremhab |journal=Journal of Egyptian Archaeology |volume=39 |year=1953 |pages=14, 16, 21}}</ref>

[[File:Limestone statue of a husband and wife, British Museum.jpg|thumb|left|150px|A statue of Horemheb as an official]]
His parentage is unknown but he is believed to have been a commoner. According to the French Egyptologist [[Nicolas Grimal]], Horemheb does not appear to be the same person as [[Paatenemheb]] (''[[Aten]] Is Present In Jubilation''), who was the commander-in-chief of Akhenaten's army.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.virtual-egyptian-museum.org/Collection/FullVisit/Collection.FullVisit-JFR.html?..%2FContent%2FSTO.XL.00896.html&0 |publisher=Virtual Egyptian Museum |title=The Full Collection |website=virtual-egyptian-museum.org |access-date=2006-08-17 |archive-date=2006-01-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060105123218/http://www.virtual-egyptian-museum.org/Collection/FullVisit/Collection.FullVisit-JFR.html?..%2FContent%2FSTO.XL.00896.html&0 |url-status=live }}</ref> Grimal notes that Horemheb's political career began under Tutankhamun where he "is depicted at this king's side in his own tomb chapel at Memphis."<ref name=Grimal1992>{{cite book |first=Nicolas |last=Grimal |title=A History of Ancient Egypt |publisher=Blackwell |year=1992}}</ref>{{rp|page=242}}

He is known to have served in the military during the reign of Akhenaten.<ref name="v984">{{cite web | title=Horemheb | website=Ancient Egypt Online | url=https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/horemheb/ | access-date=2025-05-29}}</ref> In the earliest known stage of his life Horemheb served as "the royal spokesman for [Egypt's] foreign affairs" and personally led a diplomatic mission to visit the [[Nubia]]n governors.<ref name=Grimal1992/>{{rp|page=242}} This resulted in a reciprocal visit by "the Prince of Miam ([[Aniba (Nubia)|Aniba]])" to Tutankhamun's court, "an event [that is] depicted in the tomb of the Viceroy Huy."<ref name=Grimal1992/>{{rp|page=242}} Horemheb quickly rose to prominence under [[Tutankhamun]], becoming commander-in-chief of the army and advisor to the pharaoh. Horemheb's specific titles are spelled out in his [[Saqqara]] tomb, which was built while he was still only an official: "Hereditary Prince, [[Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King]] and Chief Commander of the Army"; the "attendant of the King in his footsteps in the foreign countries of the south and the north"; the "King's Messenger in front of his army to the foreign countries to the south and the north"; and the "Sole Companion, he who is by the feet of his lord on the battlefield on that day of killing Asiatics."<ref>{{cite book |first=John A. |last=Wilson |article=Texts from the tomb of general Hor-em-heb |title=Ancient Near Eastern Texts (ANET) relating to the Old Testament |publisher=Princeton University Press |edition=2nd |year=1955 |pages=250–251}}</ref>
[[File:Saqq Horemheb 07.jpg|thumb|Relief from Horemheb's tomb in Saqqara. Receiving 'gold of honour' collars.]]
[[File:Tumba de Tutankamón, Valle de las Reyes, Luxor, Egipto, 2022-04-03, DD 77.jpg|thumb|Relief from [[KV62]] showing court officials dragging Tutankhamun's coffin. Horemheb is possibly the person closest to Tutankhamun's mummy.]]