A conversation with Aaron Butts on the conversion to Christianity of Ezana, the fourth-century king of Aksum (in modern Ethiopia and Eritrea). “Conversion” is a conventional term, but what Ezana’s inscriptions and coins reveals is a complicated process of appealing to different groups and the coexistence of religions in his realm and the royal monuments.
Byzantium & Friends is hosted by Anthony Kaldellis, a Professor at the University of Chicago. You can follow him on his personal website. You can listen to more episodes of Byzantium & Friends through Podbean, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Top Image: The Ezana Stone – photo by Saliko / Wikimedia Commons
A conversation with Aaron Butts on the conversion to Christianity of Ezana, the fourth-century king of Aksum (in modern Ethiopia and Eritrea). “Conversion” is a conventional term, but what Ezana’s inscriptions and coins reveals is a complicated process of appealing to different groups and the coexistence of religions in his realm and the royal monuments.
Aaron Butts is a Professor at University of Hamburg, where he researches religions in the Eastern Mediterranean. See also his website BeInf – Beyond Influence: The Connected Histories of Ethiopic and Syriac Christianity. The conversation is based on Aaron’s forthcoming paper ‘Ezana of Aksum: The First Christian African King,’ Aethiopica 28 (2025).
Byzantium & Friends is hosted by Anthony Kaldellis, a Professor at the University of Chicago. You can follow him on his personal website. You can listen to more episodes of Byzantium & Friends through Podbean, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Top Image: The Ezana Stone – photo by Saliko / Wikimedia Commons
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