Axum's War Elephants: How the Empire Dominated the Horn

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Axum's use of war elephants, focusing on the native African forest elephant and how Axumite kings like Ousanas and Kaleb deployed them in battle. They discuss the Monumentum Adulitanum's mention of elephant hunts, the trade in ivory to Rome, and the tactical advantages of African elephants over Asian ones. The conversation also touches on the decline of the elephant corps as the Sassanids disrupted Red Sea trade and the rise of Islam shifted power dynamics. Listeners will learn about the mahouts of Axum, the logistical challenges of keeping elephants, and how these animals shaped Axum's military reputation from the 3rd to 6th centuries AD. #Axum #WarElephants #AfricanForestElephant #MonumentumAdulitanum #KingOusanas #KingKaleb #IvoryTrade #RomanEmpire #SassanidPersia #RedSea #HornOfAfrica #Mahouts #Procopius #CosmasIndicopleustes #Adulis #AncientWarfare #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo