King Ezana’s Empire

It’s the 4th century A.D., and you are a traveler and adventurer, standing on the deck of a ship. After a long, wearying journey across the Indian Ocean, you’re thrilled by the sight ahead: the bustling port of Adulis, on North Africa’s eastern coast.

Adulis is one of the major trading centers of the famed Kingdom of Aksum. What will you find when you walk its streets? Is there any truth to the stories you’ve heard about Aksum’s great power and wealth and its gloried leader, King Ezana?

It is the 4th century A.D., and you are a traveler and adventurer. You are standing on the deck of a ship. After a long and wearying journey across the Indian Ocean, you are thrilled by the sight ahead. It is the bustling port of Adulis on North Africa’s eastern coast.

Adulis is one of the major trading centers of the famed Kingdom of Aksum. What will you find when you walk its streets? Is there any truth to the stories you have heard about Aksum’s great power and wealth and its gloried leader, King Ezana?

For years, you’ve heard talk of the kingdom. Aksum arose in about the 1st century A.D. as a town surrounded by fertile farmland. In the three centuries since, it has expanded into a prosperous empire. Now, in the 4th century, it is a booming center for international trade, protected by King Ezana’s mighty army and navy.

The kingdom lies roughly in the middle of major land and sea trade routes that connect Egypt and Europe to the north with India and other parts of Asia to the east. The result is a mishmash of peoples, cultures, and goods from near and far.

When your ship docks, you likely find yourself amid a beehive of activity. All around you, dockworkers haul cargo on and off ships lining the harbor. Many of the workers are shouting and calling to each other in Greek, the common language for intercontinental trade. Others speak regional languages, including Ge‘ez (ghee-EZ), the traditional language of Aksum’s people.

For years, you have heard talk of the kingdom. Aksum arose in about the 1st century A.D. It began as a town surrounded by fertile farmland. In the three centuries since, it has expanded into a thriving empire. Now, in the 4th century, Aksum is a booming center for international trade. It is protected by King Ezana’s mighty army and navy.

The kingdom lies roughly in the middle of major land and sea trade routes. These routes connect Egypt and Europe to the north with India and other parts of Asia to the east. The result is a mishmash of peoples, cultures, and goods from near and far.

When your ship docks, you likely find yourself amid a beehive of activity. Dockworkers are all around you. They are hauling cargo on and off ships that line the harbor. Many of the workers are shouting and calling to each other in Greek. That is the common language for intercontinental trade. Others speak regional languages, including Ge‘ez (ghee-EZ). That is the traditional language of Aksum’s people.

Ready to do more exploring, you follow a caravan of traders inland to the capital—a city also called Aksum. King Ezana has ordered a great cathedral to be built there, and you want to see it for yourself. Sometime after taking the throne, Ezana became the first African king to adopt Christianity. He has made it the kingdom’s official religion, and because of his influence, Christianity is starting to spread to other parts of Africa.

The king’s Church of St. Mary of Zion is impressive. But what really captures your attention are the hundreds of stone slabs and pillars in and around the city. These stelae (STEE-lee) range from about 3 feet to nearly 100 feet tall. Inscribed mostly with symbolic images, the monuments honor Aksum’s most important residents. Some stelae are hundreds of years old, while others are freshly carved. The newest honor King Ezana.

One slab is different from the others (see “King Ezana’s Story,” below). Most stelae are carved with ornate images representing windows and doors. But this one is inscribed with writing in three languages, which a passerby helps you translate. It describes some of King Ezana’s great accomplishments as a ruler and military leader, especially how he dealt with people who challenged his authority. The king, it seems, is trying to ensure that his name and achievements live on by etching them in stone.

As you ride away from the kingdom, you think back on all you have seen. If anyone asks, “Is there any truth to the stories about the great power and wealth of Aksum and its gloried leader, King Ezana?,” your answer will be yes.

You are ready to do more exploring. So you follow a caravan of traders inland to the capital. That city is also called Aksum. King Ezana has ordered that a great cathedral be built there. You want to see it for yourself. Sometime after taking the throne, Ezana became the first African king to adopt Christianity. He has made it the kingdom’s official religion. Because of his influence, Christianity is starting to spread to other parts of Africa.

The king’s Church of St. Mary of Zion is impressive. But what really captures your attention are the hundreds of stone slabs and pillars in and around the city. These are called stelae (STEE-lee). They range from about 3 feet to nearly 100 feet tall. Inscribed mostly with symbolic images, the monuments honor Aksum’s most important residents. Some stelae are hundreds of years old. Others are freshly carved. The newest honor King Ezana.

One slab is different from the others (see “King Ezana’s Story,” below). Most stelae are carved with ornate images representing windows and doors. But this one is inscribed with writing in three languages. A passerby helps you translate the writing. It describes some of King Ezana’s great accomplishments as a ruler and military leader, especially how he handled people who challenged his authority. The king seems to be trying to ensure that his name and achievements live on by etching them in stone.

You ride away from the kingdom, thinking back on all you have seen. If anyone asks, “Is there any truth to the stories about the great power and wealth of Aksum and its gloried leader, King Ezana?,” your answer will be yes.