Kingdom of Aksum

In this episode, we explore the Kingdom of Aksum, one of the ancient world’s great trading powers, which flourished in the Horn of Africa from the 1st to the 8th centuries AD. We look at how Aksum used its strategic position and the Red Sea port of Adulis to connect African, Mediterranean, and Indian Ocean trade networks, building wealth through commerce, coinage, and diplomacy. The episode also highlights Aksum’s cultural achievements, including literacy in Ge’ez and Greek, monumental architecture, and the adoption of Christianity under King Ezana. Finally, we examine the debated causes of Aksum’s decline, from environmental pressures and disease to the rise of Persian and Arab power, and how the kingdom’s loss of maritime influence transformed it from an international empire into a more isolated agrarian society.