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| Empress of Ethiopia 332 B.C. |
February is Black History month, the appropriate time to reflect on some great, black ‘Princess and Queens’ who made an indelible mark in history centuries ago. History proves that women have always played a significant roll in leadership, have stood up for what they believed in and fought for freedom, many have forgotten and/or undermine. While great women are few in numbers compared to men historically, great Princess and Queens have lead by example, strong, smart and respected. A trait, seemingly oblivious to some young women today. This and every Sunday during this month, February 2015, we take a moment to look at some of these great women, with hope of empowering even one young, strong black woman.
CANDACE – EMPRESS OF ETHIOPIA or Ancient mother Amanirenas (332 B.C.)
Ethiopia pre-dated Egypt, and Egypt was a state of Ethiopia. Due to White and Asian invasions, the blacks lost lower Egypt, and after centuries of occupying upper Egypt the blacks finally lost control of that too and all the possessions there, including the capital Thebes: the eternal city of the blacks. Kings were held to such a high esteem, one was never even allowed to speak to them much less touch them. This left the Queen in the position of power, which is why there are recorded history about women in this period, 332 B.C.
These Queens were smart military tacticians as the blacks then believed in women warriors. All Queens were strong, big in stature, and always dressed in the finest attire. They were strongly respected and reverenced in their land and throughout the ancient world.
The name Queen Candace actually never existed. Candace was a European name the Romans came up with. What these women were really called were Kandake meaning: Queen or Mother of the crown prince, or the Queen mother (not Beyonce). So every Queen of Ethiopia for that period was called Empress Candace, or Empress Kandake.
Amanirenas who was CANDACE or Empress OF ETHIOPIA was blinded in one eye after a battle with the Roman army who invaded the city of Meroe; but this did not stop her by any means. On his world conquering rampage, Alexander the great was trampling through the ancient world and set his eyes on Ethiopia where gold flowed like the sand, and the wealth surpassed any nation. He had set his armies to invade Ethiopia and from there the stories differ.
The wildly accepted view one given by Chancellor Williams who wrote “The Destruction of Black Civilization” is that upon hearing Alexander the great coming CANDACE of Ethiopia, Amanirenas, gathered her black troops, lined them up across the first cataract along with herself and stood on top of two African Elephants on a throne and waited for Alexander to show up. Legend has it that Alexander the “great,” could not entertain the possibility of having his world fame and unbroken chain of victories marred by risking a defeat, at last, by a woman.
Once seeing the black Queen on her Elephants and her black armies along with her,
Alexander the “great” halted his armies at the borders of Ethiopia, the first cataract, and turned back up into Egypt. Once he saw the deadly military tactician in all her glory and her black army with the latest iron weapons, he decided against an invasion and turned around. Alexander the great had come upon one of the greatest generals of the ancient world, the formidable Black Queen of Ethiopia, Amanirenas.
The bible even speaks of the Candaces: Acts 8:27 “And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, *was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
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