Axum's Diplomatic Letters to the Sassanid Court

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known but revealing chapter of Axumite history: the diplomatic correspondence between Axum's kings and the Sassanid Persian Empire. Drawing on the writings of Cosmas Indicopleustes and fragments preserved in later Arabic sources, they piece together the contents of Axum's letters to Khusrow I and Khusrow II. They discuss how Axum's rulers presented themselves as equals to the Shahanshah, using titles like 'King of Kings' in Ge'ez and Greek, and how these letters reveal Axum's bid for recognition as a major power alongside Rome and Persia. The conversation also covers the strategic context: the rivalry over Himyar and the Red Sea trade routes, the fall of Adulis, and the eventual isolation of Axum as the Sassanids and later the Rashidun Caliphate reshaped the region. Specific terms include Khusrow I, Khusrow II, Adulis, Cosmas Indicopleustes, Ge'ez, basileus, Shahanshah, Himyar, and the Monumentum Adulitanum. #Axum #SassanidEmpire #KhusrowI #KhusrowII #Diplomacy #CosmasIndicopleustes #Adulis #Himyar #RedSeaTrade #Ge'ez #Basileus #Shahanshah #MonumentumAdulitanum #AncientLetters #EastAfrica #AncientPersia #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo