Aksum An African Civilisation of Late Antiquity Stuart Munro-Hay

the Agame and the Siguene, and, having conquered, I reserved for myself half of their 
lands and their peoples. The Aua and Singabene and Aggabe and Tiamaa and Athagaous 
and Kalaa and the Samene people who live beyond the Nile in inaccessible mountains 
covered with snow where tempests and cold are continuous and the snow so deep that a 
man sinks up to the knees, I reduced to submission after having crossed the river; then 
the Lasine, and Zaa and Gabala, who inhabit very steep mountains where hot springs 
rise and flow; and the Atalmo and the Beja and all the people who erect their tents with 
them. Having defeated the Taggaiton who dwell up to the frontiers of Egypt I had a road 
constructed going from the lands of my empire to Egypt.  
Then I fought the Annine and the Metine who live on precipitous mountains as well as the 
people of Sesea. They took refuge on an inaccessible peak, but I besieged them on all 
sides and captured them, and chose among them young men and women, boys and 
virgins. I retained also their goods.  
I defeated also the barbarian people of Rauso who live by the aromatics trade, in 
immense plains without water, and the Solate, whom I also defeated, imposing on them 
the task of guarding the sea-lanes.  
After I had vanquished and conquered, in battles wherein I personally took part, all these 
peoples so well protected by their impenetrable mountains, I restricted myself to 
imposing tribute on them and voluntarily returning their lands. But most peoples 
submitted of their own free will and paid me tribute.  
I sent an expedition by sea and land against the peoples living on the other side of the 
Erythraean Sea, that is the Arabitas and the Kinaidokolpitas, and after subjugating their 
kings I commanded them to pay me tribute and charged them with guaranteeing the 
security of communications on land and sea. I conducted war from Leuke Kome to the 
land of the Sabaeans.  
I am the first and only of the kings my predecessors to have subdued all these peoples by 
the grace given me by my mighty god Ares, who also engendered me. It is through him 
that I have submitted to my power all the peoples neighbouring my empire, in the east to 
the Land of Aromatics, to the west to the land of Ethiopia and the Sasou; some I fought 
myself, against others I sent my armies.  
When I had re-established peace in the world which is subject to me I came to Adulis to 
sacrifice for the safety of those who navigate on the sea, to Zeus, Ares and Poseidon. 
After uniting and reassembling my armies I set up here this throne and consecrated it to 
Ares, in the twenty-seventh year of my reign.  
The 8th to 10th century manuscripts in which this inscription is preserved have some 
explanatory glosses about some of these names; thus Gaze apparently means the 
Aksumites, still called Agaze, the Siguene are the Suskinitai, the tribes near Adulis are 
called the Tigretes (the earliest mention of Tigray?), the Tiamaa are the Tziamo and 
Gambela, the Atalmo and Beja are the Blemmyes, the Taggaitai (Tangaitai) are also 

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called Attabite.. and Adra..s, the Sesea are tribes of Barbaria, the Solate are those living 
by the sea in Barbaria, called the Tigretai of the coast in Barbaria, and Sasou is the 
furthest part of Ethiopia, beyond which lies the ocean and the Barbareotes who traffic in 
incense (Huntingford 1989: 43).  
DAE 8. Ge`ez written in the South Arabian script. 
Inscription attributed to Ezana, but possibly of his predecessor Ousanas (Ella Amida?) 
Bisi Gisene. For a note about the problems in attributing this text, see Schneider 1987: 
615.  
. . . Ella Amida, Bisi ..s.m, king of Aksum, Himyar, Raydan, Saba, Salhen, Tsiyamo, Bega 
and of Kasu, king of kings, son of the invincible Mahrem. He departed on campaign to 
re-establish his empire and put it again in order. Those who obeyed him, he spared; 
those who resisted him, he put to death.  
He came to `LBH and there came with presents SWSWT king of the Agwezat with his 
people, and he received his submission and he was made subject. Then he sent him away 
to return to his country.  
Then he arrived at FNSHT and there arrived with his people and presents the king of 
Gabaz, SBL and he received his submission and he was made subject. Then he sent him 
away so that he could return to his own country. Next he came to HMS, and there came 
all the tribes of Metin, and he received his submission and let them return to their own 
country. And he improved the roads and subdued the country?  
And he provided safe conduct on the road for the bringing of tribute together with 
provisions for men and women, and gave food to his four armies in enemy country? At 
the camp where he installed himself, he assured provisionment by requisitions imposed 
on the enemy. He fought with them, and held a muster (of his troops) in the field and 
completed their complement (?).  
Then he came to ..mo, and he received its (his?) submission; he came also to MTT and 
fought it (him?) and he reduced MTT with spilling of blood.  
Then he (came to) Samen . . . he extracted tribute . . . and he received submission and 
sent them off so that they could re-establish order in their country. From there he crossed 
the rivers, and then came ..L the king of WYLQ who said `Our people are come and with 
them . . . establish order with you . . . O our king . . . 
(the remaining lines are too fragmentary to be useful).  
The Meroë Inscriptions. 
Apart from an unvocalised Ge`ez graffito on one of the pyramids of group A (no. 19) at 
Meroë, reading `. . . son of Julius . . . all the world . . .' (Lepsius, R., Denkmäler aus 
Ägypten und Aethiopien 1913, abth. VI, bl. 13, 1), and another on a wall of temple T at 

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