The pharaoh himself embodied this golden age of Egyptian civilization. Amenhotep III ruled for nearly four decades, from approximately 1391 to 1353 BCE, presiding over an empire that had been consolidated and expanded by his martial predecessors but now basked in the fruits of their conquests. Unlike the warrior pharaohs who had carved out Egypt's empire through military campaigns, Amenhotep III was a builder and a patron of the arts, commissioning magnificent temples, palaces, and monuments that proclaimed Egypt's glory to the world. His court at Malkata, on the west bank of the Nile opposite Thebes, was a marvel of luxury and sophistication, attracting diplomats, artists, and scholars from across the known world.