Ezana of Axum

Ezana ( Ge'ez ዔዛና ʿ Ezana zn without vocalization ዐዘነ ʿ, also Ezena, or Azaña ) was in the 4th century king of Axum. The kingdom of that time included the present-day Eritrea, parts of Ethiopia, the Sudan and Yemen. Ezana of Axum made ​​one of the first empires, who introduced Christianity. He appointed his teacher from childhood, the Syrian Frumentius to the head of the Ethiopian Church. It is a letter of the Roman emperor Constantius II obtained at Ezana, the Ezana prompts Frumentius to Alexandria to send, because he had committed error in ecclesiastical matters. It is not known whether Ezana then sent out Frumentius.

Ezana was also active as a conqueror. From his campaigns we learn mainly by inscriptions which had erected the ruler. However, it is unclear whether the ruler conquered Meroe, in any case he reported that he had conquered the Kasu.

From his coins can be read, as it was from a pagan to a Christian ruler. The early imprints show solar disk and crescent, later a cross.