Axum's King Kaleb: The African Emperor Who Conquered Yemen

This episode dives deep into one of Axum's most ambitious military campaigns—the conquest of Yemen under King Kaleb in the 6th century. We explore the religious and political motivations behind the war, including the persecution of Christians in Najran by the Jewish Himyarite king Dhu Nuwas. Lucas walks through the naval invasion from Adulis, the siege of Zafar, and the eventual Axumite occupation that turned Yemen into a protectorate. We also examine Kaleb's famous inscription at Axum, the geopolitical rivalry with Sassanid Persia, and the legacy of Axumite rule in South Arabia. How did a kingdom in East Africa project power across the Red Sea? And what does this tell us about Axum's place in the late antique world? #Axum #KingKaleb #Himyar #Yemen #DhuNuwas #Najran #RedSea #Adulis #Zafar #SassanidPersia #Byzantium #EarlyChristianity #EastAfrica #LateAntiquity #AncientEmpires #MilitaryHistory #History #FexingoHistory #KingdomOfAxum #AksumiteEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo