THE ETHIOPIANS
To the left you will see a picture of the glory of Ethiopia ,in the midst of what historians now call the Scramble for Africa where European powers vied for much of Africa's land and resources. Ethiopia was the only African country to defeat a European colonial power and retain its sovereignty as an independent country.Thus echoeing a view of them long held by the ancient Greeks. Diodorus Siculus would put it beautifully.
"And they state that, by reason of their piety towards the deity, they manifestly enjoy the favour of the gods, inasmuch as they have never experienced the rule of an invader from abroad; for from all time they have enjoyed a state of freedom and of peace one with another, and although many and powerful rulers have made war upon them,not one of these has succeeded in his undertaking." What is not said about Ethiopia is that at one time it was ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL NATIONS ON EARTH. In ancient times known as the Kingdom of Aksum it existed from approximately 100–940 AD and at its height Aksum controlled northern Ethiopia, Eritra, northern Sudan, southern Egypt,Djibouti, Western Yemen, and southern Saudi Arabia, totaling 1.25 million square kilometers. The persian prophet Mani would cite it as one of the four great powers of his time along with Persia, Rome, and China.The capital city of the empire was Aksum, now in northern Ethiopia. Today a smaller community, the city of Aksum was once a bustling metropolis, cultural and economic center. It dominated states on the Arabian Peninsula across the Red Sea, making them pay Aksum a regular tribute. By the reign of Endubis in the late 3rd century it had begun minting its own currency It converted to Christianity in 325 under King Ezana becomeing the first Christian nation and was the first state ever to use the image of the cross on its coins and by 350, they conquered the Kingdom of Kush. Aksum was the major force in the trade network between India, China and Rome , exporting ivory, tortoise shell, gold and emeralds, and importing silk and spices. Aksum's access to both the Red Sea and the Upper Nile enabled its strong navy to profit in trade between various African, Arabian , and Indian states. The empire was also rich with gold and iron deposits. These metals were valuable to trade, but another mineral was also widely traded. Salt was found richly in Aksum and was traded quite frequently. It benefited from a major transformation of the maritime trading system that linked The Roman Empire and India. This change took place around the start of the 1st century. The older trading system involved coastal sailing and many intermediary ports. The Red Sea was of secondary importance to the Persian Gulf and overland connections to the Levant. Starting around 100 BC a route from Egypt to India was established, making use of the Red Sea and using monsoon winds to cross the Arabian Sea directly to southern India. By about 100 AD the volume of traffic being shipped on this route had eclipsed older routes. Roman demand for goods from southern India increased dramatically, resulting in greater number of large ships sailing down the Red Sea from Roman rule in Egypt to the Arabian Sea and India. Eventually, the Islamic Empire took control of the Red Sea and most of the Nile, forcing Aksum into economic isolation. Northwest of Aksum in modern day Sudan, the Christian states of Makuria and Alodia lasted till the 13th century before becoming Islamic. Aksum, isolated, nonetheless still remained Christian.After a second golden age in the early 6th century, the empire began to decline. Source
"And they state that, by reason of their piety towards the deity, they manifestly enjoy the favour of the gods, inasmuch as they have never experienced the rule of an invader from abroad; for from all time they have enjoyed a state of freedom and of peace one with another, and although many and powerful rulers have made war upon them,not one of these has succeeded in his undertaking." What is not said about Ethiopia is that at one time it was ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL NATIONS ON EARTH. In ancient times known as the Kingdom of Aksum it existed from approximately 100–940 AD and at its height Aksum controlled northern Ethiopia, Eritra, northern Sudan, southern Egypt,Djibouti, Western Yemen, and southern Saudi Arabia, totaling 1.25 million square kilometers. The persian prophet Mani would cite it as one of the four great powers of his time along with Persia, Rome, and China.The capital city of the empire was Aksum, now in northern Ethiopia. Today a smaller community, the city of Aksum was once a bustling metropolis, cultural and economic center. It dominated states on the Arabian Peninsula across the Red Sea, making them pay Aksum a regular tribute. By the reign of Endubis in the late 3rd century it had begun minting its own currency It converted to Christianity in 325 under King Ezana becomeing the first Christian nation and was the first state ever to use the image of the cross on its coins and by 350, they conquered the Kingdom of Kush. Aksum was the major force in the trade network between India, China and Rome , exporting ivory, tortoise shell, gold and emeralds, and importing silk and spices. Aksum's access to both the Red Sea and the Upper Nile enabled its strong navy to profit in trade between various African, Arabian , and Indian states. The empire was also rich with gold and iron deposits. These metals were valuable to trade, but another mineral was also widely traded. Salt was found richly in Aksum and was traded quite frequently. It benefited from a major transformation of the maritime trading system that linked The Roman Empire and India. This change took place around the start of the 1st century. The older trading system involved coastal sailing and many intermediary ports. The Red Sea was of secondary importance to the Persian Gulf and overland connections to the Levant. Starting around 100 BC a route from Egypt to India was established, making use of the Red Sea and using monsoon winds to cross the Arabian Sea directly to southern India. By about 100 AD the volume of traffic being shipped on this route had eclipsed older routes. Roman demand for goods from southern India increased dramatically, resulting in greater number of large ships sailing down the Red Sea from Roman rule in Egypt to the Arabian Sea and India. Eventually, the Islamic Empire took control of the Red Sea and most of the Nile, forcing Aksum into economic isolation. Northwest of Aksum in modern day Sudan, the Christian states of Makuria and Alodia lasted till the 13th century before becoming Islamic. Aksum, isolated, nonetheless still remained Christian.After a second golden age in the early 6th century, the empire began to decline. Source
GALLERY
To the right you will see a beautiful rendering of a tall statuesqe warrior his hair short and curled his nose pointed and slightly upturned. His dark black color in stark contrast to his European comrades. First mentioned in homer's Iliad, the epic account of the battle of Troy .Memnon was an Ethiopian King during the Trojan war, and brought an army to Troy's defense. Greek historians stated that as a warrior he was considered to be almost Achilles' equal in skill and that he arrived with innumerable troops. Although Achilles slays him in battle, in the manner of the Greek epic, Memnon's fame only increases, and he is made immortal by the gods. Ethiopians are referenced several times throughout greek history their praise and respect for them quite clear ,Herodotus stated "That they are the most ,tall handsome and longest lived of all men".
AN ANCIENT LAND OF GOD
They shall make an ark of acacia wood," God commanded Moses in the Book of Exodus, after delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. And so the Israelites built an ark, gilding it inside and out. And into this chest Moses placed stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, as given to him on Mount Sinai. The Ethiopians claim to be the keepers of this almighty power known as the Arc of the covenant ,their royal blood line being from king Solomon and the Queen of Sheba they say it was brought to them by their king Menelik ,son of Solomon and Sheba. The Ethiopians claim it was Brought to them some 3000 years ago and it rests under a small chapel in the city of Aksum. The chapel is today gaurded by a succession of virgin priests who ounce anointed can never leave the grounds till the day they die. This claim is befitting to a nation who practiced devout judaism for a 1000 years and christianity for another 2000 and even more fitting when you think of what the ancient Greek historian Diodorus Sicilus said of them "And they say that they were the first to be taught to honour the gods and to hold sacrifices and processions and festivals and the other rites by which men honour the deity; and that in consequence their piety has been published abroad among all men, and it is generally held that the sacrifices practised among the Ethiopians are those which are the most pleasing to heaven". One of the most beautiful things about the Ethiopian people is that their large christian and muslim populations live in perfect harmony together worshipping openly without conflict. This stands in stark contrast with nearly every middle eastern country ,where simple seperate fractions of Islam result in massive amounts of blood shed and seemingly ceaseless war. The ancient egyptians seemed to hold ethiopia as a holy nation as well the name they gave their neighboring kingdom was Land of Punt literally meaning "The Land of God" .
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ANCIENT MONUMENTS
The Ethiopian city of Axum has a series of 7 giant obelisks that date from perhaps 300 BC to 300 AD. They have details carved into them that represent windows and doorways of several storeys. The largest obelisk, now fallen, was at one time IN FACT THE LARGEST MONOLITH MADE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. It is 108 feet long, weighs a staggering 500 tons, and represents a thirteen-storey building. Ethiopia also boasts a large array of impressive castles and churches dating back to antiquity.
THE FIRST OF ALL MEN
The ancient greek historian Diodorus Siculus would say this about the Ethiopians ( "Now the Ethiopians, as historians relate, were the first of all men and the proofs of this statement, they say, are manifest. For that they did not come into their land as immigrants from abroad but were natives of it and so justly bear the name of "autochthones" is, they maintain, conceded by practically all men; furthermore, that those who dwell beneath the noon-day sun were, in all likelihood, the first to be generated by the earth,") It is no surprise that this view long held by the ancient greeks to be true. Home to Lucy, Ardi, the oldest stone tools, the first fossils of modern humans and many other discoveries, Ethiopia deserves the title of Cradle of Humankind.
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KINGDOMS OF ETHIOPIA
Gigantic obelisks, beautiful stone monuments cut from solid mountains , rich subterranean tombs , and an empire that spanded Africa and the Middle East for hundreds of years. No this isn't Egypt but Ethiopia one nation unequivocally black African and so powerful it has never been ruled by foreign occupiers. Largely left out of the history books the history of Ethiopia is a treasure that every black child in the world should know of.