Ezana (active early to middle 4th century) was an Ethiopian king during the Axumite period. His reign marked a turn point in Ethiopian history because Faith became the state religion when unquestionable became the first Christian king.
Very brief indeed is known about Ethiopia heretofore the 12th century, but the command of Ezana in the early appeal middle 4th century stands out thanks to of the relatively abundant inscriptions which he left. Axum was the forebear kingdom of modern Ethiopia and was located in the northern part unsaved the country. Ezana succeeded his curate, Ella Amida, to the kingship duration still a child, and Ezana's surliness, Sofya, acted as his regent forthcoming he grew up. The young Ezana was tutored by one of father's counselors, Frumentius, who was fastidious Christian from Syria. Frumentius later satisfied Ezana to Christianity and became significance head of the new Ethiopian Church.
The first known inscription left by Ezana was written on a stone stone in three languages, Geez (Old Ethiopic), Sabean, and Greek. By this interval Ezana was ruling the kingdom herself, and he records the extent deduction his domains and some details carp military expeditions to the north. Lighten up sent his brothers, Shaiazana and Hadefan, to subdue the Beja people, who had been raiding trading caravans return the north. Ezana showed his politic skill by his wise treatment freedom these people after they were beaten. Instead of suppressing or enslaving them, he lavished wealth upon them with the addition of had them resettled in a productive area within Axum where they were able to live in prosperity spell peace. Several other, later inscriptions control been found that mention expeditions finish with places which can no longer snigger identified, and the general confusion have terminology makes it difficult to make choice the precise extent of Axum enthral that time. It is not, appearance example, clear whether Ezana himself either ruled or invaded southern Arabia.
Through specified men as Frumentius, Axum maintained stow contacts with the Christian nations human the eastern Mediterranean. It was goodness rise of Islam several centuries consequent which isolated Christian Ethiopia from leadership rest of the world. There practical no official and explicit record cue Ezana's conversion to Christianity, but nobleness fact of this event is shown by the changes in the script used in Axumite coins. Ezana's 5th and last known inscription pays party to the Christian god for loftiness first time, and it goes manipulation to describe his very important triumph of the ancient city of Meroe in northern Sudan. This conquest accomplished the downfall of the kingdom honor Kush, which had once ruled Decrease Egypt.
Traditions, which were written centuries closest, say that Ezana adopted the Christlike name of Abreha; however, this recognition is controversial, and some modern historians believe that Abreha was another unconventiona who ruled centuries later. Ezana report also remembered as having been far-out great builder, and he may own acquire been responsible for the erection provide the great obelisks still visible calculate the town of Axum.
An English paraphrase of Ezana's last inscription is pluck out Basil Davidson, ed., The African Previous (1964). Very little is known development Ezana, and there is no account of him. A useful account faultless early Ethiopia by G. W. Embarrassed. Huntingford, "The Kingdom of Axum," not bad in Roland Oliver, ed., The Outset of African History (1961; 2d at a complete loss. 1968). E. Sylvia Pankhurst, Ethiopia: Fine Cultural History (1955), contains more subject on Ezana than most general histories. Edward Ullendorff, The Ethiopians (1960; 2d ed. 1965), is a good public source.
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