Axum's King Ousanas: The Warrior Who Defeated Rome

In this episode of The Kingdom of Axum: Rome's Forgotten African Rival, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of King Ousanas, the Aksumite ruler who humiliated a Roman expedition in the 3rd century CE. Drawing on the Monumentum Adulitanum, an inscription preserved by Cosmas Indicopleustes, they reconstruct Ousanas's military campaigns against the Beja and Blemmyes, his conquests in the Arabian Peninsula, and his diplomatic standoff with Emperor Aurelian. Learn how Ousanas forced Rome to pay tribute, why his gold coinage featured the Greek title 'basileus', and how his victories reshaped the Red Sea trade. The episode also delves into the controversy surrounding Ousanas's identity—was he the same person as King Ezana's father?—and the enduring mystery of the lost Aksumite royal annals. A story of African military power, diplomatic cunning, and the high-stakes politics of the ancient world. #Axum #KingOusanas #MonumentumAdulitanum #CosmasIndicopleustes #Beja #Blemmyes #Aurelian #Rome #RomanEmpire #RedSea #GoldCoin #Basileus #3rdCentury #AncientAfrica #HornOfAfrica #Aksumite #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo