Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Emperor Baeda Maryam: Ethiopia's Solomon of the 15th Century
Description
In the shadow of his father Zara Yaqob, Emperor Baeda Maryam ruled Ethiopia from 1468 to 1478, a reign often overlooked but rich with diplomatic intrigue, artistic flourishing, and a surprising turn toward religious tolerance. This episode explores how Baeda Maryam reversed his father's harsh persecution of the Stephanites, welcomed back exiles, and patronized a golden age of Ge'ez manuscript illumination. We follow his embassies to the Mamluk Sultanate and Portugal, including a letter to the Pope that echoes the Prester John myth. Lucas and Luna dive into the Dabra Berhan Selassie church, the role of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as a national unifier, and how Baeda Maryam's death from a horse kick set the stage for the instability that followed. A nuanced portrait of a ruler who chose mercy over orthodoxy in a time of change.