This lecture will focus on the many sole-ruling kandakas (‘queens’) of the ancient kingdom of Meroë (Kush/Nubia), including those who ruled contemporaneously with Cleopatra and with Roman aggressions and occupation along the Nile valley. We will learn about the Nubian warrior queens who led troops in battle (and to victory) against Rome, and deconstruct the reductive stereotypes often peddled about the powerful female rulers of the Nile. We will contrast the queens’ self-presentation with the ways in which Roman-imperial authors attempted to re-inscribe them.
This lecture will focus on the many sole-ruling kandakas (‘queens’) of the ancient kingdom of Meroë (Kush/Nubia), including those who ruled contemporaneously with Cleopatra and with Roman aggressions and occupation along the Nile valley. We will learn about the Nubian warrior queens who led troops in battle (and to victory) against Rome, and deconstruct the reductive stereotypes often peddled about the powerful female rulers of the Nile. We will contrast the queens’ self-presentation with the ways in which Roman-imperial authors attempted to re-inscribe them. Please join us for this in-person lecture given by a leading scholar of ancient Nubia and Egypt.