Amanirenas

Amanirenas was a kandake of Kush. She reigned from about 40 BCE to 10 BCE. She is the most famous kandakes, because of her role leading Kushites armies against the Romans from 24 BCE to 21 BCE in three battles. She ruled alongside her husband, King Teriteqas. When the king died, he was replaced by one of Amanishakheto's sons, Akinidad.

Roman Conflict

The conflict between Rome and Meroe stemmed from an invasion by the first Roman governor of Egypt, Cornelius Gallus, into Nubia at an area called the Thebaid. The Thebaid had been in constant revolt since the time of the Ptolemies, and the new Roman administration quickly acted to put it under Roman protection in 29 BCE. The Thebaid, being in Nubia, was also nominally part of Kush putting the Romans at odds with Meroe. After the conquest, the Roman governor declared the king of Kush under Roman protection and installed a prince in the Thebaid which he designated as the district of Triakontaschoinos. He also erected a statue of Augustus at Philae to commemorate his success.

The Kushite March North

Soon after, the Kushite army penetrated the Roman frontier under the command of Kandake Amanirenas and her son Akinidad at a fort in Aswan. With a portion of the Roman garrison away to suppost Aelius Gallus' campaign in Arabia, the Kushites captured Syene, Elephantine and Philae. The inhabitants were enslaved, and the statue of Augustus was torn down.

Petronius Nubian Campaign

In response to this most grave of insults, the prefect Gaius Petronius led a force of 10,000 infantry, 800 horsemen and numerous auxiliaries into Nubia beginning in 24 BCE. Petronius sent ambassadors to the Kushites at Dakka for an explanation of their behavior. The Kushites requested and received a three day ceasefire before the Romans continued the campaign. Kandake Amanirenas lost an eye in battle. Many of her generals were captured and sent to Alexandria as slaves.

The Romans continued on to Pselchis seizing more captives, then onto Premnis and finally Napata. Doubting his abilitiy to succeed beyond his current conquests, Petronius returned to Premnis and strengthened its garrison before departing to Alexandria in 22 BCE. A fort was also established at what is now Qasr Ibrim.

Treaty of Samos

An inevitable Kushite counter-attack came in 21 BCE with the kandake marching on Premnis with thousands of soldiers. Petronius arrived first and met with Kushite ambassadors whom he sent to negotiate with Augustus himself at the island of Samos. According to the historian Strabo, Augustus granted all the ambassadors asked and even remitted the tributes he had imposed.

According to legend, the Kushite envoys presented a bundle of golden arrows to Augustus along with the message "the kandake sends you these arrows. If you want peace they are a token of her friendship and warmth. If you want war, you are going to need them".

After the War

The treaty culminated in Kush retaining its independence and Roman military posts being established in a mutually recognized border area called the Dodekaschoinos. Amanirenas's battle against the Romans made her the most documented of all the kandakes. Gaius Petronius described her as a woman with a masculine build. She was succeeded by Amanishakheto.

References

Snowden, Frank M. Jr., "Blacks in Antiquity: Ethiopians in the Greco-Roman Experience". The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London England. 1970
"Women in power 500-B.C. 1" at Guide2womenleaders.com

External links