Ay

Ay served as close advisor to two, possibly three pharaohs of Egypt's 18th Dynasty before taking the throne himself in the late 14th century BC. Some believe he was the real power during Tutankhamun's reign, though the only evidence is the boy king's age. When he finally ruled in his own right, it lasted four years. After his death, Horemheb became pharaoh and set about dismantling his legacy: a damnatio memoriae that targeted Ay and the other figures tied to the unpopular Amarna Period, leaving few clear records or monuments behind. His throne names — Kheperkheperure, "Everlasting are the Man…