About this book:

"Axum's Legacy" comprehensively examines the Axumite Empire's pivotal role in connecting the Mediterranean, Arabian, and Indian Ocean worlds from antiquity to the Middle Ages. The book argues that Axum was a central player in global antiquity, leveraging extensive trade networks, adapting Christianity, and developing a unique imperial identity. Drawing on diverse material evidence like coinage, multilingual inscriptions (Geʿez, Sabaic, Greek), and archaeological excavations at sites like the port of Adulis, the narrative reconstructs Axum's economic, political, and cultural evolution.

The empire's rise is traced from the earlier Dʿmt polity, highlighting continuities in state formation, monumental construction (stelae, thrones), and the development of the Geʿez language. Axum's sophisticated administrative and economic systems are detailed through chapters on coinage, which served as a declaration of sovereignty and facilitated trade, and the complex networks involved in moving commodities such as ivory, gold, frankincense, slaves, and textiles. The book emphasizes the critical role of the Red Sea and Indian Ocean monsoons in shaping maritime trade and cultural exchange, making Axum a nexus of global circulation.

A central theme is the transformative impact of Christianity on Axum, beginning with King Ezana's conversion in the 4th century CE. This religious shift is documented through changing coin iconography and inscriptions, establishing Axum as one of the earliest Christian states and aligning it with Byzantium. The book explores how this new faith was translated into local contexts through scripture, liturgy, and the growth of monasticism, and how it influenced the visual culture of churches and art. Diplomacy and military alliances with powers like Rome/Byzantium and the Himyarite kingdom in South Arabia, often intertwined with religious motivations, further illustrate Axum's active engagement on a geopolitical stage.

"Axum's Legacy" also investigates the internal workings of the empire, detailing governance through law, taxation, and land management, and examining settlement patterns from bustling ports to highland villages. It addresses the eventual decline and retreat of Axumite centralized power, attributing it to environmental stress, shifting trade routes, and the rise of new regional powers, particularly with the advent of Islam. However, the book stresses continuity, demonstrating how Axum's traditions—in faith, language, and cultural practices—persisted and influenced subsequent medieval Christian kingdoms like the Zagwe dynasty. The final chapters delve into how Axum's memory and myth were actively curated in later Ethiopian chronicles, securing its place as a foundational element of Ethiopian identity and in the broader context of world history.