Axum's Red Sea Fleet: The Lost Naval Power of Antiquity

In this episode of The Kingdom of Axum: Rome's Forgotten African Rival, Lucas and Luna explore a neglected chapter of ancient history: Axum's naval power in the Red Sea. Using the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and archaeological evidence from the port of Adulis, they reconstruct how Axum built and deployed a fleet of sewn-plank vessels, timbered from the highlands, to dominate trade routes and project military force from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian coast. The episode covers the range of Axumite ships—from cargo dhows to war vessels carrying archers and catapults—and examines the logistical challenges of assembling a navy in a region with scarce shipbuilding timber. They discuss the 6th-century invasion of Himyar under King Kaleb, who used a fleet to cross the Red Sea and overthrow the Jewish king Dhu Nuwas; the role of Byzantine naval support; and the later decline of Axumite sea power as the Sassanid Empire seized Yemen and Aksumite kings turned inland. The episode also touches on the mysterious stela of Adulis, a stone inscription detailing King Ptolemy VIII's naval campaigns, which Cosmas Indicopleustes copied in the 6th century. Listen for a fresh look at an African empire that once commanded the waves. #Axum #Adulis #RedSea #NavalHistory #PeriplusErythraeanSea #KingKaleb #Himyar #CosmasIndicopleustes #SewnPlankBoats #AfricanEmpire #AncientNavy #Byzantine #Sassanid #MonumentumAdulitanum #EastAfrica #HornOfAfrica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo