Ethiopia

1. History of Axumite Empire

  • Pre-Roman history
  • Ethiopia has been trading with the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean for 3,000 years.
  • The Aksumite Empire existed between 100 – 940 CE.
  • The Greeks and the Romans conducted Trade with Ethiopia. The Aksumite Empire is 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, Greece, Rome, Arabia and across the Indian Ocean to India.
  • The Nubians invaded Egypt and formed the Twenty Fifth Dynasty of Pharaohs between 720 – 656 BCE. Nubia was strongly influenced by Ethiopia.
  • Ethiopia was considered the fourth great World Empire, along with the Roman Empire, the Persian Empire and China, by the Persian Mani (216-274 CE).
  • Acquisition by Rome:
  • Timeline of this Province:
    • Under The Republic:
    • After Augustus’ reconstituted the Republic into an Empire:
    • After Diocletian’s Reforms of 297 CE:
    • After Death of Theodosius in 395 CE:
  • Famous Persons from Ethiopia:
  • Chief archeological Finds:
  • Historic Battle Sites:
  • Main Historical Sources for Ethiopia:

2. Geography

  • Location Today:
    • Landlocked between Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti.
  • Neighbouring Roman Provinces:
  • Capital City:
    • Axum, now Addis Ababa.
  • Chief Cities:
  • Climate and Temperature Today:
  • The Annual Rains in Ethiopia divide into two: the short rains from February to April, and the Southwest Monsoon, which starts in mid June and lasts until mid September.
  • Main Geographical features:
  • The Ethiopian Highlands. The Main Ethiopian Rift. Lake Tana, the Source of the Blue Nile.
  • Main Rivers:
  • The Blue Nile
  • Ethiopia contains the Abay river, which drains into Laka Tana, and then becomes the Blue Nile which descends into Egypt.
  • The Southwest Monsoon in Ethiopia is mainly responsible for the Annual Rise of the NIle.
  • Low rainfall in Ethiopia will cause drought in the Sudan and Egypt.
  • Mountain Ranges:
  • The Ethiopian Highlands are also known as the ‘Roof of Africa’. Most of the Mountains range in altitude between 5,000 ft (1500m) and 15000 ft (4550m): Semian Mountains, Bale Mountains, Lasta Massif, Arsi Mountains, Kollo Massif, Tigray Mountains, Guna Massif, Choqa Mountains, Eastern Escarpment, Mount Gugu, Salale Mountains, and the Gurage Mountains.
  • Islands:
  • Dahlak Archipelago, Island Monasteries on Lake Tana

3. Political Organisation:

The Kebra Nagast

  • The story of the origins of the Kings of Ethiopia is recounted in the Kebra Nagast (The Glory of the Kings).
  • It is a Book compiled in the 14th century CE, based on an older Work, and is considered by Ethiopian Christians to be a Lost Bible.
  • Later Kings of Ethiopia:
  • 1185-1211 CE: Gebral Maskal Lalibela. He was exiled and given assistance to return to his kingdom by the Knights Templar.
  • Tribes and Population:
    • Falashas.
  • Language:
  • The Ge’ez Alphabet has many similarities with the Phoenician Alphabet.
  • The Ge’ez Abjad Alphabet evolved from c. 100 – 330 CE with 26 Consonants.
  • Ge’ez Abugida evolved from the arrival of Christianity around 330 CE. It is written from left to right.
  • Ge’ez is the Liturgical language of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Christian Churches.
  • Amharic, the modern language of Ethiopia, evolved from Ge’ez Abugida.

4. Military Organisation

  • Legions:
  • Navy:
  • Defensive Works:
  • Main Threats: Internal/ External:

5. Economy

  • Chief Exports:
  • Trade was based on Ivory, the Hides of Exotic animals and the export of live animals for the Roman Arenas, Pearls and Tortoiseshell from the Dahlak Archipelago, and Mining of Gold, Iron and Obsidian.
  • Wild Animals:
    • Ethiopia was able to supply African Wild Animals for the Colosseum in Rome, to fight in the Games known as Bestiari.
    • The Romans required a vast number of Wild Animals for their Gladiators in the Amphitheatre and as Ethiopia is home to most of the species, she was able to export them either down the Nile or the Red Sea.
    • The African Wild Animals native to Ethiopia are:
      • Intimidating: The Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Rhinoceros, Wolf, Hyena, Jackal and the Elephant.
      • Colourful: The Giraffe, Antelope, Zebra, Gazelle, Buffalo, Monkey, Baboon, and the Warthog.
  • Salt from Aksum.
  • Agriculture and Fishing:
  • Manufacturing:
  • Mines:
  • Mint: At Axum.
  • Coinage of Ethiopia:
  • The Aksumite Empire issued coins with inscriptions in Ge’ez and Greek.
  • Up to 325 CE, the coins carried the symbol of the disc and crescent.
  • After 325 CE, the Aksumite Empire was the first country to use the symbol of the Cross on its coins.

6. Transport

  • Number of Days taken to travel to Rome:

7. Relationship with Rome

  • 27-22 BCE The Ethiopian Kings may have initially supported the Kingdom of Kush, against the Roman Conquest of Egypt, during the Meroitic War of 27-22 BCE.
  • 62-66 CE Nero seems to have been making preparations to conquer either Nubia or Ethiopia, however this Plan ended with his suicide on June 9th 68 CE.
  • 250-280 CE Ethiopia may have supported the Blemmyes during their invasions of Egypt during the Crisis of the Third Century (235-284 CE).

8. History of Christianity in Ethiopia

  • As a boy, Frumentius of Tyre (died c.383 CE) was accompanying his uncle on a merchant vessel to an Ethiopian Port in the Red Sea. The Crew were massacred but he his brother Edesias were spared and taken to the King of the Aksumite Empire at Aksum, to become his slaves. Eventually, they rose to become important Officials in the Government, and they were given their Freedom.
  • After the King’s death they were invited by the Queen, acting as Regent for her son, to stay on. They started converting the Merchants to Christianity, then when the Prince became King, decided to retire and go back to Tyre in Lebanon, where Edesias became a Priest.
  • Sometime between 328-341 CE, Frumentius was consecrated Bishop of Axum by Athanasius, the Patriarch of Alexandria, and returned to Ethiopia to convert the Country.
  • Between 331-341 CE Christianity became the Official State Religion of Ethiopia.
  • The Aksumite Empire was the first country to use the sign of the Cross on its coins.

9. History of Judaism in Ethiopia

  • The Kebra Nagast describes the Kings of Ethiopia as being descended from the marriage of King Solomon to the Queen of Sheba, who lived in Ethiopia.
  • Ethiopia claims to be the home of the Ark of the Covenant, which is housed in the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum, Tigray Province. The church was built by King Ezana, the first King of Ethiopia to convert to Christianity circa 330 CE. According to the Kebra Nagast, the Ark was first brought to Ethiopia by King Menelik I c.950 BCE, son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, after a visit to meet his Father in Jerusalem.
  • The Aksumite Empire had a Jewish population who seem to have started arriving in Ethiopia around 100 BCE. Between 100-325 CE, the Aksumite Empire was considered to be a Jewish State. After this date Aksum converted to Christianity.
  • The main followers of Judaism were the Falashas.
  • Ethiopia was considered to be the home of the Queen of Sheba who had married King Solomon. The Kings of Ethiopia claimed descent from King Solomon.

 

Axum

 

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