Axum's Trade Empire: Spices, Silk, and the Red Sea Monopoly

While Axum is often remembered for its towering stelae and early Christian kings, its economic engine was something far more subtle and far-reaching: control of the Red Sea spice routes. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Axum's port of Adulis became the hinge of a vast trading network linking the Roman Empire, India, and East Africa. They trace the journey of cinnamon, frankincense, and myrrh from source to market, examine the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as a historical source, and discuss how Axum leveraged its geographic position to become a middleman empire. The episode also covers the kingdom's diplomatic and military efforts to protect its commercial interests against rival powers like Himyar and the Sasanians, and the eventual decline of its trade dominance as new powers emerged. Lucas explains the role of ivory, tortoiseshell, and obsidian in Axum's exports, and how the kingdom's coinage facilitated long-distance transactions. This is a story of merchants, sailors, and the invisible infrastructure that made Axum one of the ancient world's great commercial powers. #Axum #Adulis #RedSeaTrade #PeriplusErythraeanSea #SpiceRoute #AncientTrade #EastAfrica #RomanEmpire #IndiaTrade #Frankincense #Myrrh #Cinnamon #Ivory #Himyar #Sasanian #FexingoHistory #History #AncientEconomy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo