What Were Africans Doing During The Reign Of Julius Caesar?

Julius Caesar is no doubt one of the most well-known names in world history. He was arguably the most powerful man in the world during his reign, and his untimely death sent ripples throughout the massive Roman Empire. But while Rome was perhaps experiencing its golden age under Julius, what was going on in Africa during this popular moment in time? What up African world, it's Home Team here and welcome back to another video of African History, Culture, and Worldview. By supporting this channel on Patreon, you're helping in the creation of these videos and supporting this content. If you'd like to access courses and sources, or you simply want to show your support, you may do so by clicking the Patreon link in the description box below. Julius Caesar was on the throne between 49 BC and 44 BC. So I'll use this general time frame as a guideline to reveal significant events on the African continent. Now I really won't be going into what was going on in Egypt, as much of that topic has been exhausted due to Caesar's famous relationship with the Ptolemaic Queen, Cleopatra. So keep that in mind. But to begin, I find it very interesting that during the time Julius Caesar was alive, the greatest queen in African history was alive as well. And no, I'm not talking about Cleopatra. I'm talking about Queen Ammonerinus of Cush. Just four years after the assassination of Julius Caesar, Queen Ammonerinus is assumed to have come to the Cushite throne in Nubia. Now there is some speculation as to when exactly she came to the throne, because some suggest that it was actually 20 BC. But I think we can all safely agree that her reign began shortly after the death of Julius Caesar. Queen Ammonerinus is among the most accomplished queens of Africa because of her later role in leading Cushite armies against the Romans in a war that lasted about five years. The Romans under Petronius apparently wanted to tax Nubians living in Egypt, which she naturally opposed. Ammonerinus initially waged a successful campaign against the Romans in Egypt, even taking the head of a statue in the form of Augustus and burying it under her temple so her people can symbolically trample over Rome. Petronius, of course, struck back and drove the Cushites southward. Two years later, Queen Ammonerinus gathered a huge Cushite force and intended to meet the Romans. The Romans, however, encountered many difficulties navigating the Nubian region and saw fit not to engage further and thus a final battle never actually occurred. The Cushite perspective is unclear as we can't decipher the Nubian Meroitic text, but it's clear that the Romans did not engage further south and strategically withdrew. Queen Ammonerinus is remembered by the Romans as being brave and blind in one eye due to her literal participation in battle. Under her rule, Cush secured its borders away from Roman ambition. A wall painting in a pyramid chapel of Meroe portrays Ammonerinus with bow, arrows, and spear, holding by one hand a tethered group of seven captives. And this is why I consider Queen Ammonerinus to be the greatest queen in African history. There has been no other queen in Africa who took on such a great threat, going on to safeguard the integrity of their state. She accomplished her objective in protecting her people and maintaining their independence. What greater objective is there for any monarch? Her bravery and composure in conflict with Rome is absolutely legendary as she halted potential Roman ambition in the region. This moment was perhaps one of the most glorious for the African continent because it was very rare to stop Roman ambition, especially under one of Rome's most accomplished rulers. The next event in Africa during the reign of Julius Caesar were the aggressive campaigns of the Garamante civilization in the Sahara. The Garamantes were said to be an ancient Berber tribe who developed an advanced civilization in southwestern Libya. They used an elaborate underground irrigation system and founded prosperous Berber kingdoms or city-states in the Fezzan area of Libya. Unfortunately, most if not all of our information concerning the Garamante civilization comes from Greek, Roman, and Arab sources, as well as archaeological excavations in the area. Today, large areas of Garamante civilization remains unexplored. Herodotus and his statement about the Garamante's use of chariots is supported by numerous examples of rock art from across the Fezzan in Libya. Featuring teams of between one and four horses, these often-detailed works clearly show that the Garamantes had great equestrian skills by which they controlled trade along the so-called Garamantean Road, also referred to as the Bilma Trail, which passed through their territory. During the time of Julius, the Garamantes had proven themselves to be a persistent annoyance to Rome in North Africa. Even though Rome was able to subdue Carthage, under Caesar, they could not manage to gain a stronghold over the Garamantes as the Berber tribe felt confident to meet the Romans head-on. The Garamantes were well-known by the Romans for their frequent and successful raids. Even after the death of Caesar 24 years later, the Garamantes were still able to raid into Roman-controlled lands. Writing much later in 70 CE, Tacitus wrote that the Garamantes were an ungovernable people, which if read between the lines is a compliment to Garamante sovereignty. For our final event in Africa during the time of Julius Caesar, the first ruler of the Benin Kingdom came to the throne in 40 BC. Oguiso-Igoro was the first Oguiso, or king of the Edo people, beginning the first dynasty of Edo kings. Igoro was said to be a well-learned and talented individual. He was reportedly an archer, wrestler, ironsmith, and craftsman. In a rare move of advancement, he became a part of the Odunwari, which was a council of elders. He was just 40 years of age upon his appointment, which is considered pretty young. Igoro excelled in the position and eventually rose to the status of leader. Igoro's youthfulness resulted in some resentment by fellow members of the council, however, but he was able to win much of his support through persuasion and generosity through gifts. Thus, Igoro established the art of patronage. Igoro became famous in the surrounding villages for making sure that when an elephant was killed, the meat was shared by the community. The communities began to regard Igoro as a sort of God-sent person and gave him the praise name of, He is like someone sent from the sky. And it was from that description that the title of Oguiso, or Sky King, was derived. The Edo people believed that the Oguiso in the creation story was one of the three children of Osonbua, or God Almighty. Therefore, the subsequent Oguisos were of divine origin. It's interesting that during the life of Julius, the greatest queen of Africa existed as well, and the first king of what later became the Benin Empire of West Africa came to the throne. This was no doubt one of the more fascinating times, as some of the heavy hitters of world history were beginning to take form. Well, I'm all out guys. If you like these videos and want to help in its continued production, consider supporting the home team on Patreon.com. The link is in the description box below. Know thyself. Remember your ancestors. Peace.