The Kingdom of Aksum was a trading state centred on the city of Aksum in the highlands of northern Ethiopia and Eritrea, and for several centuries it was one of the great powers of the ancient world, ranked with Rome and Persia by the Persian prophet Mani. It controlled the trade between the Roman world and India through its port at Adulis on the Red Sea, exporting ivory, gold and emeralds, and minted its own coins. In the fourth century King Ezana adopted Christianity, making Aksum one of the first states to do so. It left behind tall carved stone stelae. The kingdom declined after the rise of Islam changed trade routes, and its power gradually faded.
Before and after
- 425 BCEDeath of Herodotus
- c. 421 BCEConstruction of the Erechtheion
- from 415 BCE to 413 BCESicilian Expedition
- 406 BCEDeath of Sophocles
- from 5th century BCE to 10th centuryKingdom of Aksum
- 5th century BCEOrigins of Temple of Zeus in Olympia
- 5th century BCEFounding of Aetolian League
- 5th century BCERise of Cynicism
- 15 February 399 BCEDeath of Socrates
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The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires.