Axum
From 300 BCE to 600 CE, Ethiopia was commonly known as the Axumite Kingdom. Axum was a major empire and trading power. They began with polytheistic roots, but switched to Christianity under the influence of merchants in 4th century.
Axumite religion was a polytheistic religion that believed the gods controlled nature. In the fourth century, Axum was declared to be a Christian state, and was actively converted by King Ezana II, who was taught about the Christian religion by his teacher Frumentius. Frumentius was appointed the Bishop of Ethiopia around 330 AD, in the Church of Alexandria, though it never held Axum tightly. This allowed a different form of Christianity to develop naturally through Axum. It was the first major empire to convert to Christianity.
The Empire of Axum had its own alphabet, called the Ge’ez Alphabet, which included vowels. Christianity was adopted in place of polytheistic and Judaic religions around 325, which influenced the modern Ethiopian church. The Axumite population consisted of Semitic-speaking people, which were collectively known as Habeshas, Cushitic-speaking people, and Nilo-Saharan speaking people.
The main exports for Axum were agricultural products. Their principal crops were grains like wheat and barley, though they also raised cattle, sheep, and camels, using their land to graze them. They traded with Rome, as well as Egypt and Persia, developing strong ties with those countries. Aside from those resources, the earth was rich with gold and iron, which were valuable, but salt was abundant and was traded frequently. Axum was also an important marketplace for ivory, which was exported all around the ancient world.
Essay By: Hagen A
Axumite religion was a polytheistic religion that believed the gods controlled nature. In the fourth century, Axum was declared to be a Christian state, and was actively converted by King Ezana II, who was taught about the Christian religion by his teacher Frumentius. Frumentius was appointed the Bishop of Ethiopia around 330 AD, in the Church of Alexandria, though it never held Axum tightly. This allowed a different form of Christianity to develop naturally through Axum. It was the first major empire to convert to Christianity.
The Empire of Axum had its own alphabet, called the Ge’ez Alphabet, which included vowels. Christianity was adopted in place of polytheistic and Judaic religions around 325, which influenced the modern Ethiopian church. The Axumite population consisted of Semitic-speaking people, which were collectively known as Habeshas, Cushitic-speaking people, and Nilo-Saharan speaking people.
The main exports for Axum were agricultural products. Their principal crops were grains like wheat and barley, though they also raised cattle, sheep, and camels, using their land to graze them. They traded with Rome, as well as Egypt and Persia, developing strong ties with those countries. Aside from those resources, the earth was rich with gold and iron, which were valuable, but salt was abundant and was traded frequently. Axum was also an important marketplace for ivory, which was exported all around the ancient world.
Essay By: Hagen A
