Queen Candace of Antiquity
Ancient Mother of the Sudan and Ethiopia
Kemet (Egypt) controlled the Sudan and Ethiopia as early as 1500 BCE, during Kemet’s Eighteenth Dynasty that had begun in 1580 with Pharaoh Ahmose I. The Sudan and Ethiopia were colonies of Kemet. However, sometime between 1050 to 950 BCE, the people of these regions managed to separate from Kemet to form their own civilization, which eventually transformed into the kingdom of Kush. Its two main cities were Napata in the Sudan and Meroe near the border of Ethiopia.
Origin of Candace
The rulers of Kush were both men and women from the royal family. The mother of the ruler was the main political advisor and co-ruler. The Kushites called the mother of the king Candace, “queen mother,” which also means “honest” and “clear.” Since there were approximately 44 kings or rulers from Kush’s inception to the first century CE, there were also as many queens or Candaces who either co-ruled or led the kingdom autonomously. Kushites referred to the fathers of the kings as sons of the Sun, meaning followers of the sun disc symbol of the God of the sky, a feature of the monotheistic movement created by Pharaoh Akenten (Akhnaton) during the fourteenth century BCE.
As Kushite civilization grew Kemet began to decline, especially after 670 BCE with invasions from Assyrians followed by Persians (525) and Greeks (332). When the Greeks invaded Kemet, Macedonian-born Alexander the Great led them. Macedonians had invaded the Greece mainland and took control of its city-states. The leading Greeks, though, particularly the ones from Athens, unabashedly referred to Macedonia as a place that breeds savages and barbarians, and they always publically stated that Macedonians were not Greek. However, many historians suggest that Alexander was Greek because Macedonians spoke a Greek language or dialect.
Alexander Meets Queen Candace
When Alexander the Great invaded Kemet in 332, Kush’s kingdom extended south into Western Ethiopia and as far north as the first cataract, which was just below Kemet’s southern border. After conquering Kemet Alexander decided to continue south to invade Kush, but he had to contend with Candace, one of the “mother queens,” who was the general-in-chief of the army as well as a great military commander and war strategist. As Alexander headed towards the first cataract feeling good about his victories, he saw the Kushite army with its leader Queen Candace, who was sitting on a royally designed bench set across the top of two elephants.
There are different accounts of what actually occurred when Candace confronted Alexander. According to Chancellor Williams, after seeing Candace’s formidable defense of well-trained soldiers armed with iron weapons, Alexander reconsidered his decision to go into battle because his opponent’s air of confidence forced him to think about his winning streak. He also weighed the possibility of losing to a woman general against his reputation. After thoroughly examining the situation, Alexander retreated north. In contrast, William Leo Hansberry says that Alexander met semi-privately with Candace. Legend has it that Candace advised Alexander to leave the region immediately and if he refused, after defeating his army, she would cut off his head and roll it down a hill.
Read more at Suite101: Queen Candace of Antiquity: Ancient Mother of the Sudan and Ethiopia http://africanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/queen_candace_of_antiquity#ixzz0evH2OrB2
