Augustus, the first ever emperor of Rome, is most famous for his countless military successes during his long and tyrannical tenure. Yet, in 21 BC, at the height of his power, he was completely embarrassed by the most unlikely of leaders.
Amanirenas of the Kush was not only a woman of colour but also disabled, possessing only one working eye. Thanks to her efforts, Augustus, the self-proclaimed ‘son of God, was forced to surrender and accept every one of her demands. Here is the story of how an African queen dominated the most powerful man in the world.
Between 40 BC and 10 BC, the mysterious African kingdom of Kush, located in modern-day Sudan, was ruled over by the legendary Queen Amanirenas. She was a woman of remarkable stature, towering over her men and sporting three battle-scars on her face. Her conflict with Rome would further disfigure her, leading to the loss of one of her eyes.
Governing alongside her husband King Teritequas, her domain was rich beyond imagination, possessing vast quantities of gold, iron, and ivory. The wealth of this obscure realm, located at the fringes of the known world, was something that Augustus was very aware of following his triumph against Cleopatra and arch-rival Marc Anthony in 30 BC in neighbouring Egypt.
The Romans were no doubt curious to see, and to pillage, the fabled palace of Queen Amanirenas, which reportedly had brick-vaulted rooms adorned with enormous blocks of pure gold and ivory. In fact, it would take only a year for the new overlords of Egypt to extend their campaigns south towards the Kush.
Gaius Cornelius Gallus, the first governor of Augustan Egypt, would make the first Roman incursions into the shadowy northern Kushite frontier. After subduing a revolt in the south of Egypt, he audaciously crossed the border to lay claim to the Kushite island of Philae, situated in Lower Nubia. With Queen Amanirenas too weak to mount a counter-attack, she was forced to concede her territory and to accept the authority of the local lord who had been chosen to look after Roman interests in the region.
But the Queen’s capitulation was also an astute political move, giving her enough time to prepare a relief force that could overcome the Mediterranean conquerors at a later date.
#africanqueen #queenamirenas #history #romanempire #africanqueen #africanhistory #augustusceaser
Scriptwriter: Jake Leigh-Howarth
Video Editor & Motion Graphics: Abhishek Sharma
Voice-over Artist: Chris Redish
Music: Motionarray.com
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