Amanitore
Kushite queen regnant who co-ruled with her son Natakamani.
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Amanitore (also written as Amanitere or Amanitare) was a queen of the Kingdom of Kush who ruled from the city of Meroë around the middle of the 1st century AD. She governed alongside her son, Natakamani, and their joint rule is one of the best-documented periods in Kushite history, generally considered a time of prosperity. It is possible they were alive during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero. Evidence for Amanitore and Natakamani comes from their tombs and many monuments that show them together.
Life
Earlier scholars thought Amanitore was Natakamani’s wife, but an ancient inscription at the Temple of Dakka suggests she was his mother, which is now the accepted view. During their co-reign, only Natakamani held the official title of ruler (qore), while Amanitore was called kandake (queen consort or queen mother). Nevertheless, both are shown wearing royal regalia and clothing, indicating they were co-rulers with equal authority.
Neither is recorded as having ruled alone. Amanitore was buried in her own pyramid at Meroë (site Beg. N 1), which measures about six meters square at its base and is not a true mathematical pyramid. Her royal palace was located at Jebel Barkal in what is now Sudan, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Her territory lay between the Nile and Atbara rivers. Three crown princes are known from their reign: Arikhankharer, Arikakahtani, and Shorkaror. The first two are believed to have died before Natakamani and Amanitore, as only Shorkaror is recorded as becoming king afterward. The family ties between these princes and the rulers are unknown.
Construction projects
Based on chronology, Amanitore and Natakamani were likely preceded by Amanikhabale and succeeded by Shorkaror. Amanitore was among the last major Kushite builders. She helped restore the large temple of Amun at Meroë and the Amun temple at Napata after it was destroyed by the Romans.
Reservoirs for storing water were also built at Meroë during her reign. Together with Natakamani, she constructed Amun temples at Naqa and Amara. The large number of building projects completed in the mid-1st century suggests this was the most prosperous era in Meroitic history. More than two hundred Nubian pyramids were built, though most were looted in ancient times.
Lore & Background
Amanitore and Natakamani are known from their tombs and from numerous monuments where the two are depicted together. Older scholars assumed Amanitore was Natakamani's wife, but they are now assumed to have been mother and son, because an ancient graffito at the Temple of Dakka suggests that Amanitore was Natakamani's mother. During their co-reign, only Natakamani was explicitly titled as ruler (qore), with Amanitore being titled as kandake (queen consort/mother); however, both are clearly depicted as co-rulers with equal power, shown with the regalia and attire of kings. Neither is ever attested to have ruled alone without the other.
Amanitore is buried in her own pyramid in Meroë, Beg. N 1, which is approximately six metres square at its base and not a pyramid in the mathematical sense. Her royal palace was at Jebel Barkal in modern-day Sudan, now a UNESCO heritage site, and her area of rule was between the Nile and the Atbara rivers.
Reader's Guide
Amanitore was among the last Kush builders. She was involved in restoring the large temple for Amun at Meroë and the Amun temple at Napata after it was demolished by the Romans. Reservoirs for the retention of water were also constructed at Meroë during her reign.
The two rulers also built Amun temples at Naqa and Amara. The quantity of building completed during the middle part of the first century indicates that this was the most prosperous time in Meroitic history. More than two hundred Nubian pyramids were built, most plundered in ancient times. Amanitore may be the kandake mentioned in the Bible in Acts 8:26–40, in the story about the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch.
Three crown princes are attested in her co-reign: Arikhankharer, Arikakahtani, and Shorkaror. Only Shorkaror is attested to have become king, as the other two are believed to have predeceased Natakamani and Amanitore. Amanitore and Natakamani may have been preceded by Amanikhabale and were succeeded by Shorkaror.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Amanitore most known for?
Her building projects at Meroë and the stability of her co-reign with Natakamani are her primary claims to fame. Some scholars have also speculated that she may connect to the Ethiopian eunuch referenced in Acts 8:26–40, though that link remains unconfirmed.
When exactly did Amanitore rule?
Her reign is placed in the middle of the first century AD, which would make her a rough contemporary of the Roman emperor Nero. Neither her birth year nor her death year survives in the record.
More in Ancient Rulers Of Africa And The Near East
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Amanitore (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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