Axum's King Zoskales and the Birth of the Red Sea Trade Empire

Long before Axum's famous kings like Ezana and Kaleb, there was Zoskales — the shadowy ruler who laid the foundations of the Aksumite commercial empire. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore what we know about this early king from the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a first-century Greek shipping manual. Zoskales ruled over Adulis and the highlands, controlling trade in ivory, tortoiseshell, and obsidian. They examine his contested identity — was he the same person as Za Haqala mentioned in later king lists? — and how his reign set the stage for Axum's rise as a rival to Rome. Along the way, they touch on the archaeological site of Adulis, the mysterious 'port of the Axumites', and how a single ancient document preserves the memory of a king who might otherwise be lost to history. #Zoskales #Adulis #PeriplusOfTheErythraeanSea #RedSeaTrade #Axum #AksumiteHistory #AncientTrade #IvoryTrade #KingZaHaqala #FirstCentury #EastAfrica #GreekText #RomanTrade #AncientPorts #Archaeology #History #FexingoHistory #EthiopianHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo