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Emperor Iyasu I: Ethiopia's Reformer and His Tragic End
Season 2 Episode 89
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Emperor Iyasu I (also known as Iyasu the Great) of Ethiopia, who ruled from 1682 to 1706. Known …
2 months, 3 weeks ago
The Ethiopian Infante Who Died at Alcácer Quibir
Season 2 Episode 88
In 1578, a young Ethiopian prince—an infante named Thomas—died fighting alongside King Sebastian of Portugal at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir in Moroc…
2 months, 3 weeks ago
Menelik II: Ethiopia's Unifier Who Defeated Colonial Italy
Season 2 Episode 87
In 1896, at the Battle of Adwa, Emperor Menelik II led a coalition of Ethiopian armies to a stunning victory over Italian colonial forces, securing E…
2 months, 3 weeks ago
Gondar: Ethiopia's Camelot of Castles in the 17th Century
Season 2 Episode 86
In the 1630s, Emperor Fasilides turned his back on the old capitals and built a new city from scratch: Gondar. Over the next two centuries, this wall…
2 months, 3 weeks ago
Ethiopian Church Art: Theology Painted on Wood and Stone
Season 2 Episode 85
Episode 85 of Ethiopia's Ancient Empire turns from emperors and battles to the visual theology of Ethiopian Orthodox art. Lucas and Luna explore the …
2 months, 3 weeks ago
Debre Damo: Ethiopia's Inaccessible Monastery That Preserved a Dynasty
Season 2 Episode 84
High in the Tigray mountains of northern Ethiopia, on a sheer-sided amba accessible only by rope, sits Debre Damo — one of the oldest continuously fu…
2 months, 3 weeks ago
Emperor Lebna Dengel: Ethiopia's Boy King vs the Adal Invasion
Season 2 Episode 83
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Lebna Dengel (Dawit II), the young emperor of Ethiopia who faced the devastating invasion of Ahm…
2 months, 3 weeks ago
Gragn Ahmed: The Left-Handed Conqueror Who Burned Ethiopia
Season 2 Episode 82
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic life and legacy of Ahmed ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi, better known as Gragn Ahmed — the Left-Handed Con…
2 months, 3 weeks ago
Emperor Susenyos: Ethiopia's Catholic Monarch and the Jesuit Crisis
Season 2 Episode 81
In the early 17th century, Emperor Susenyos converted to Catholicism, sparking a brutal civil war that nearly tore Ethiopia apart. This episode explo…
2 months, 4 weeks ago
Emperor Baeda Maryam: Ethiopia's Patron of the Arts and Relic Hunter
Season 2 Episode 80
In the late 15th century, Emperor Baeda Maryam ruled Ethiopia during a golden age of artistic and religious flourishing. Unlike his famous father Zar…
2 months, 4 weeks ago