- Abyssinia is the name used by the Classical World for the area consisting of modern Ethiopia and Eritrea.
- It existed as an independent Kingdom from c. 1,000 BCE onwards, and had its capital city at Aksum.
History
- Ethiopia has been trading with the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean for 3,000 years.
Aksumite Empire
- Ethiopia was also known as the Aksumite Empire which existed between 100-940 CE with its capital was Aksum.
- The capital was at Aksum, where they minted their own currency.
- Kush (Sudan) became their client kingdom.
- As the Roman Empire declined, they took control of the Trade with India in the southern Red Sea.
- In 525 CE they invaded the Himyarite Kingdom (modern Yemen).
Aksum
- It was close to the Red Sea coast, near the Bab el Mandeb Strait.
- Aksum is the Site of 7 large Stelae, weighing up to 500 tons. They are similar to the Egyptian Obelisk.
- Aksum is also famous for, allegedly, being the home of the Ark of the Covenant mentioned in The Bible.
Trade with Ancient Greece and Rome
- The Greeks and the Romans conducted Trade with Ethiopia. The Aksumite Empire was the only African Sub-Saharan Kingdom to have trading links with the Mediterranean Empires that have been written about in ancient sources.
- These Empires were Egypt, Persia, Ancient Greece, and Rome.
- The trade routes went up the Red Sea and across the Indian Ocean to India and China.
Aksum