Ezana
King of Aksum in the Ethiopian highlands. His inscriptions show him both as son of the god Ares and as invoking the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The emperor Constantius II wrote to him about the bishop Frumentius.
Ezana is known from his own inscriptions at Aksum. One, in Greek and Ge’ez, gives his titles as king of the Aksumites, the Himyarites and other peoples and calls him son of the unconquered god Ares; it mentions his brothers Saiazana and Adephas (Inscription of Ezana, RIÉ 270 Greek text, lines 1–9). Another, in Greek, records a war against the Noba (Inscription of Ezana, RIÉ 271 Greek text, lines 22–26) and opens by invoking the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Inscription of Ezana, RIÉ 271 opening lines, in the translation quoted by A. M. Butts (2025), p. 9). The Greek text of the first carries no date.
A datable notice of him comes from the Roman side. About 356 the emperor Constantius II wrote to “Aezanes and Sazanes”, rulers of Aksum, requiring them to send their bishop Frumentius to Egypt (Athanasius, Defence before Constantius 31). See King Ezana of Aksum Becomes Christian.
In the timeline
- c. AD 330–356, estimated dateKing Ezana of Aksum Becomes Christian
Ezana, king of Aksum in the Ethiopian highlands, sets up an inscription that opens in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A letter of the emperor Constantius II names Frumentius, ordained by Athanasius of Alexandria, as bishop of Aksum.
Primary sources
Inscription of Ezana in Greek, Sabaean script and Ge’ez (RIÉ 185 and 270)
- Inscription of Ezana, RIÉ 270 Greek text, lines 1–9betamasaheft.eu