Amanirenas The Kandak Of Kush: The Warrior Queen Who Took On The Romans And Won. 533v1v

Amanirenas Kandak of Kush by Pieter Uys

1

The land immediately south of Aswan in Egypt is known as Nubia. Lower Nubia lies between the first and second cataracts of the Nile whilst Upper Nubia comprises the area from the second to the sixth cataracts in Sudan.

Egyptian influence reaches into the distant past. For long periods Lower Nubia was ruled by Egypt. As early as 3500 before the current era – 5500 years ago – the Egyptian names for the area south of the first cataract were Ta-Seti (Land of the Bow) and Ta-Nehesy or Ta-Nehsu. In Old Kingdom times, the region up to the 2nd cataract was known as Wawat whilst the Nile valley between the 2nd and 3rd cataracts and the adjacent lands east of the river bore the name Medja. The first Egyptian use of the word Kush was by Pharaoh Mentuhotep II in the 21st century BCE. In the 16th century Kush became an Egyptian colony governed by a viceroy titled King’s Son of Kush. Around 1070 BCE, as the Egyptian New Kingdom disintegrated, Kush became independent with Napata as its capital city.

2

The term Nobat came into use around the 2nd century BCE as an ethnic designation. The Nubians are still there and their Nile Nubian languages include: Nobiin / Mahas / Fedicca with approximately 600 000 speakers in southern Egypt and northern Sudan.

Kenuzi or Kenzi is spoken north of Mahas on the 3rd cataract, while Dongolawi is spoken to the south around Dongola; they are generally considered two dialects of one language with an estimated 320 000 speakers . With population displacement due to the Aswan High Dam there are communities of speakers in Lower Egypt and in Eastern Sudan

3

“The Third Cataract may have marked a much older frontier. The medieval writer alAswani recorded that the third cataract formed the border between the heartland of the Nubian kingdom of Makuria and its northern province Maris (comprising Middle and Lower Nubia). This distinction between Nubian areas north and south of the third cataract seems likely to reflect the early frontiers of the embryonic Nubian kingdoms of Nobatia and Makuria which were emerging in the fifth century CE after the collapse of the Kingdom of Kush which had controlled this region for many centuries. On current evidence, it also seems likely that during this early period we may see the first development of the 'typical' northern Nubian way of life. Based on irrigated agriculture using the waterwheel (Nobiin ' eskalee '- waterwheel), a ribbon of small farming villages on the banks of the Nile, lie at the heart of the 'traditional' Nubian world.” http://www.spicey.demon.co.uk/Nubianpage/mahas.htm

Where did the people come from who spoke the ancient and modern languages of Nubia?

4

Meroitic was the language of the Kingdom of Kush. This ancient language has recently been shown to be closely related to the modern Nile Nubian languages in a family known as North Eastern Saharan. The earliest attested NES language is Meroitic as plenty of evidence of Proto-Meroitic personal names is found in Egyptian texts dated to circa 1600 BCE, according to Dr. Claude Rilly. “The University of Cologne have conducted in the last decades an ambitious archaeological project (BOS, later ACACIA, cf. Kuper & Kröpelin 2006, Jesse 2004) in the region of the Wadi Howar. This wadi – also called the "Yellow Nile" – is a former tributary of the Nile running from Ennedi range, in Chad, through Darfur and Kordofan and ing the Nile at el-Debba, north of the great bend of the Nile, 100 km south of Kerma, where the first Kushite state was founded around 2500 BCE. As Eastern Sahara underwent desertification, between 5000 and 3500 BCE, the Wadi Howar attracted a numerous population, especially from the North, until its course became disrupted and finally just temporary around the middle of the 2nd millennium BCE. Nowadays, only the Upper Wadi Howar, in Darfur, retains some water at the time of the seasonal rains. The Wadi Howar was densely populated during three millennia, as can be deduced from the 1700 archaeological sites of various size spotted by the Cologne team. The banks of the wadi are surrounded by additional archaeological sites such as Gebel Tageru in the south, Erg Ennedi in the north and Ennedi range in the west. “The original splitting into three main branches (Eastern, Taman, Nyima) might have occurred at the beginning of the third millennium BCE. The Eastern branch was probably settled in the eastern parts of the riverbed that were still hospitable at this time, namely the Middle Wadi Howar. As aridity increased, this branch split into three groups : Kushites, Proto-Nara and Proto-Nubians. Kushites (the ancestors of Meroites) headed to the Nile banks where they took part in the founding of the Kingdom of Kerma (2500 – 1500 BCE). “The Proto-Kushite migration from the Wadi Howar to the Nile took place roughly at the same time than the migration of Proto-Nara. It seems Proto-Nara split later in two groups. A first group, the ancestors of modern Nara, went upstream along the Nile and along its tributary, the Atbara river, to Western Eritrea, where they settled probably during the second millennium BCE and where they still live today. The second group settled in Lower Nubia. This population of seminomadic cattle-tenders has been labelled as "C-group" by early archaeologists. They were rapidly incorporated into the successive kingdoms of Kush (Kerma, Napata, Meroe), and later in the early Nubian kingdoms.” 5

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/nubiapyramids.htm

By the middle decades of the 700s King Kashta (Ni-Maat-Re) of Kush was powerful in southern Egypt. His daughter Amenirdis I occupied an important priestly office in Thebes. Aswan was definitely subject to Kashta who founded the 25th dynasty of Egypt.

700 BCE – Kingdom of Kush. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kush

6

Kashta was followed by Pharaoh Piye Usimare Sneferre who conquered all of Egypt in 727 BCE. Pharaoh Shabaka (or Shabataka) Neferkare was next, then Shebitku Djedkare and later Taharka (Tirhaka of scripture) who opposed the Assyrians in Canaan and Phoenicia. Tanut-Amon (Tantamani) was the last pharaoh of the 25th dynasty who retreated to Kush when Assyria conquered Egypt. But the Kingdom of Kush lasted another 900 years until about the year 350 of our era. In 592 BCE King Aspelta Neferkha Merikare moved the capital from Napata to Midawi /Merowe in an area where the Blue Nile and Atbara River the Nile, near the town of Shendi about 200km northeast of Khartoum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mero%C3%AB

7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mero%C3%AB

http://www.waa.ox.ac.uk/XDB/tours/nile5.asp 8

Herodotus, Strabo and Diodorus all refer to the warrior queens of Kush. An impressive succession of regents and queen-mothers with the title Kandak / Kentake is known to us (Candace in Greek as the title appears in Christian scripture). Engravings from 170 BCE depicts Kandak Shanakdakheto holding a spear. Other kandaks included Amanishakhete, Amanitore, Nawidemak and Malegereabar. The “Aman” part of the name refers to the Egyptian deity Amon of Thebes.

Following the defeat of Marcus Anthony and Cleopatra VII at Actium in 31 BCE, Octavian became the ruler of the Roman Empire and the first Caesar with the title Augustus Caesar. Egypt fell under Roman dominion. After the King of Kush, Teriteqas, died, his wife Amanirenas became Ruler and Kandak. (Amnirense qore li kdwe li ("Ameniras, Qore and Kandake") and might have ruled in concert with their sons Kharapkhael and Akinidad. Amanirenas (or Amnirense) who ruled +/- 40 to 10 BCE became of the most famous woman warriors in history. Caesar Augustus ordered the governor of Egypt, Aelius Gallus , to attack Arabia. Consequently the Roman garrison at Aswan was reduced.

9

“A number of Meroitic queens called Ka'andakes (Candaces) ruled Nubia-Kush just before the birth of Christ. Candace Amanirenas and her son Prince Akinidad along with the Meroitic Army kept the Romans out of Nubia-Kush. In this scene, they are witnessing the burning of the Roman Garrison in Aswan. Meroitic-Kush never became part of the Roman empire. The formidable leader greatly impressed classical writers, who mistook the royal title of Candace for a personal name. - Reference and photo from Splendors of the Past: Lost Cities of the Ancient World, National Geographic Society, 1981, page 171-173” http://www.historum.com/speculative-history/38636-diocletian-yesbokheamani.html

In the year 24BCE Amanirenas and Akinidad attacked the Empire by sacking and occupying Aswan, Philae and Elephantine. Some historians claim that their raid reached as far as Thebes. The new governor of Egypt, Publius Petronius, retook the conquered cities a year later. His invasion of Kush didn’t penetrate far into Nubia before he retreated. The Romans stationed a garrison at Pedeme / Premnis (now Karanog just south of Qasr Ibrim).

Bronze Head of Augustus Roman, about 27-25 BC From Meroe, Sudan “This bronze head of Augustus, now in the British Museum, was found buried in a temple at Meroe. The writer Strabo tells us that statues of Augustus were erected in Egyptian towns near the first cataract of the Nile at Aswan and that an invading Meroites army took many of them as booty in 24 BC. This head of Augustus was buried beneath the steps of a temple dedicated to Victory in Meroe. It seems likely that the head, having been cut from its statue, was placed there deliberately so as to be permanently below the feet of the Meroites. A wall painting in this temple depicted several prisoners including a Roman (Shinnie 1981: 167-172).” http://wysinger.homestead.com/amanirenas.html

10

A year later Amanirenas and Akinidad failed to drive the Romans from Pedeme. However, the peace treaty of the following year overwhelmingly favoured Kush: The Romans gave up Pedeme without compensation or the imposition of tribute. The new border was established at Hiere Sycaminos (Maharraqa) 120 km south of Aswan.

‘After the treaty with Augustus established the northern border of the Meroitic kingdom near Hiere, settlements of Lower Nubia intensified, and this led to a noticeable rise in the economic prosperity of the region. Heavily populated settlements were ed and perhaps actually made possible by the introduction of the water wheel (sakia), which facilitated the irrigation even of high-lying fields and thus significantly improved agricultural production. Numerous villages and cities were founded, in which spacious, abundantly furnished houses attest to the fact that the general population enjoyed considerable prosperity. Minor arts, particularly ceramic art, came into full bloom. The istration of Lower Nubia rested in the hands of Meroitic officials. http://wysinger.homestead.com/amanirenas.html

11

A long period of prosperity followed the peace treaty: “Under the leadership of King Natekamani, who ruled to 12 AD, the Meroite kingdom recovered to reach the height of its power and artistic achievement. During Natekamani's reign the kingdom stretched from the Ethiopian foothills in the south to the first cataract in the north. The wealth of the period was displayed in the building of temples and palaces. Over the next two centuries relations with the Roman rulers of Egypt were normally cordial and Meroe contributed to the Roman expansion of trade through the Red Sea and into the Indian Ocean." Kevin Shillington, History of Africa, 1995, pp. 44-45. http://wysinger.homestead.com/mapofnubia.html

“The Hamadab Stele of Amanirenas and Akinidad, was found at Hamadab in 1912 by John Garstang, in an unexcavated settlement south of the center of Meroe city. It is the longest and best known of those First and Second century BC royal inscriptions engraved in Meroitic text found in the temples of Napata and Meroe.”

12

“The four inscriptions that identify Amanirenas as queen, Candace, and ruler are the Dakka graffito, the Teriteqas oval stellar from the Isis Temple at Meroe city. The Stele is a record of military campaigns. In both the scenes represented on the lunette, the queens stand before Amun on the left half and the goddess Mut on the right half. On the frieze below these scenes, the queen is depicted in triumphal stance as ten bound enemies are prostrated before her.”

13

Candace Amanirenas of Meroe http://museumafrica.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html



“In her culture, women were in control on earth and in the religious world.



As Candace (or Kandake) of Kush (Nubia), she ruled from the palace and on the battlefield.



When Rome demanded taxes from the Nubian people, she led the army into battle defeating the Roman soldiers.



After losing an eye in battle, she was nicknamed the “One-eyed Candace” or “Warrior Queen”.



She sent a bundle of golden arrows to Augustus Caesar as either a token of friendship or to be used in battle. A peace treaty was signed.



The Roman army was impressed with the Kushite army’s determination and strength.”

tradecardsonline.com/im/selectCard/card_id/193695/cards_lang/1

14

SOURCES Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book 55: 4 (written 211-233 AD) Cassius Dio, John Carter, and Ian Scott-Kilvert, The Roman History: The Reign of Augustus (Penguin Classics), (July 7, 1987)

Grzymski, K. Meroe Reports I, 2003, Mississauga Hintz, Fritz. The Kingdom of Kush: The Meroite Period. From the book Africa in Antiquity, The Brooklyn Museum (1978)

Jameson, Shelagh. Chronology of the Campaigns of Aelius Gallus and C. Petronius, Journal of Roman Studies, 58 (1986): 71-74.

Pliny the Younger 61 - 113 AD aka C. Plinius Secundus The Historie of the World. Book 6 Chap. XXIX

Rillie, Claude. This lecture was delivered in ECAS 2009 (3rd European Conference on African Studies, 142: African waters - water in Africa, barriers, paths, and resources: their impact on language, literature and history of people) in Leipzig, 4 to 7 June 2009.

From the Yellow Nile to the Blue Nile. The quest for water and the diffusion of Northern East Sudanic languages from the fourth to the first millennia BCE. Dr. Claude Rilly (CNRS-LLACAN, Paris)

Shinnie, P.L. & Bradley, R.J., The Murals from the Augustus Temple, Meroe, in Studies in Ancient Egypt, the Aegean, and the Sudan, ed. W.K. Simpson and W.M. Davis (Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 1981), 167-172

Strabo: Geography, 22 AD, volume XVII Chap 1: 53-54 Török, Laszlo, The Kingdom of Kush: Handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization, Brill Academic Publishers; 1998

Welsby, Derek A., The Kingdom of Kush. The Napatan and Meroitic Empires. London: The British Museum Press, 1996

Welsby, Derek A., Sudan Ancient Treasurers, The British Museum Press, 2004

15

16

LINKOGRAPHY http://wysinger.homestead.com/amanirenas.html http://www.oocities.org/queen_tabiry/Ruler/Amanirenas.html http://www.whenweruled.com/articles.php?lng=en&pg=9 http://www.royalty.nu/Africa/Nubia.html http://bafsudralam.blogspot.com/2011/09/akinidad-and-qasr-ibrim-1420.html http://museumafrica.org/products/queens.html http://www.thenubian.net/splendor.php http://www.ancientsudan.org/ http://www.ancientsudan.org/history_10_rome.htm

Temple of Dendur, Nubia, 15 B.C.

17

18

19