![]() The most notorious ruler in Kush to have done this is the tactical, one-eyed Kandake Amanirenas. ![]() Similar events may have occurred in Rome, as well, though most frequently during the many bloodsports that took place in the Colosseum. Whether or not this was practiced as an appeasement of Apedemak, or a display of his power, is unknown. Such a cruel death was to be expected as punishment for such a daring crime, with multiple accounts confirming the feeding of captives to lions in Egypt, as well as in Kush during this time. Many would go on to speculate that this war god also embodies military justice: Depictions of him holding the shackles of prisoners of war as well as eating captives suggests grave outcomes for anyone opposing the rule of the sitting king. There are countless images of Apedemak in a complete leonine form on the walls of temples that show him devouring enemies and granting aid to kings in the midst of war. Many of those kings that paid their respects to this war deity claimed his favor, swearing that he would lead them to victory against their adversaries. Due to its close proximity to Egypt, there was a degree of cultural overlap: Records indicate that Egyptian gods were worshiped in some cities, that the people of Kush also mummified their dead, and that they also built burial pyramids. It lay within the fertile land of the Nile Valley and was a hub for ironworking. The Kingdom of Kush was an absolute monarchy that was established in 1070 BC. Depicted most frequently as a man with the head of a lion - or as in the case at a temple in Naqa, three lion heads - Apedemak represented the unwavering authority of the ruling class in Kush. This war god was a favorite amongst the king of ancient Kush, Egypt’s southern neighbor.
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