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The Aksumite Economy: Coins, Trade Routes, and Empire Building
Description
Long before Lalibela and Gondar, the Aksumite Empire built its power on a sophisticated economy of gold coins, Red Sea trade, and diplomatic alliances. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Aksum's currency system worked, why it was so trusted across three continents, and how trade routes from Adulis to Alexandria connected this East African kingdom to Rome, India, and beyond. They dive into the reign of Endubis — who minted the first Aksumite gold coins — and follow the economic shifts under Ezana, Kaleb, and the mysterious King Aphilas. Along the way, they discuss the role of ivory, frankincense, and the port of Adulis, the challenge of the Beja nomads, and how the rise of Islam reshaped Aksum's trade networks. This is a deep look at the economic engine behind one of antiquity's greatest empires.