History of Africa

Season 2 Episode 12 - The Year of the Elephant and the First Plague

In the 530s AD, a mysterious disease swept across the Aksumite territories of Ethiopia and Yemen. The black plague, with mysterious origins somewhere in the interior of East Africa, would soon spread on the ships of Aksumite merchants across the world. To make matters worse, a surge in volcanic activity caused a drop in global temperature, causing further chaos in the agrarian economy of Aksum. Meanwhile, as Abraha's kingdom of Aksumite Arabia struggled to recover from the plague, the former general concocts a plan to restore his economy through ancient religious tourism, only to have his scheme ruined by a single elephant.Notre Dame StoriesStories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 Episode 11: The Aksumite Civil War

The Aksumite invasion of Yemen was a success! The Himyarite king had killed himself, and the entirety of the Himyarite kingdom was under Aksumite control. Now what?Two Aksumite generals: the prince-general Ariat and the slave-turned-general Abraha, disagreed strongly as to what they should do next. These disagreements, over such different matters as forced conversions, which villages should be raided, and how much power should be given to a puppet king, all eventually escalate into a catastrophic civil war.Learn more about African history on our blogNotre Dame StoriesStories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 Episode 10 - Saint Kaleb, the Conqueror

Kaleb was never meant to be king. For his entire life, he wanted to live a scholarly and humble life as a monk. However, when his father died at a young age, he was forced onto the throne with only his trusted slave-turned-advisor, Abraha, to help him. Upon hearing news of brutal persecution of his fellow Christians in the Arabian Kingdom of Himyar, Kaleb leaps into action, assembling the largest army that Aksum had ever seen to finally conquer his Arabian enemy.Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 Episode 9 - Aksum’s Zealot King and the Nine Saints

After Saizana's death, a mysterious man named Mahedyas takes the throne of Aksum. He begins a crusade to rid Aksum of the holdovers from its polytheistic past, and consolidates the church under his direct control. Later, a group of refugee priests land in Aksum and begin revolutionizing the Aksumite church.Notre Dame StoriesStories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 Episode 8: Ezana’s Conquest of Nubia

The Ancient Nubian kingdom of Meroe had existed before Aksum's foundation as a city, and was the preeminent power in East Africa for most of its existence. But, by the year 360, the tables had turned. Nubia was a kingdom in decline, while Aksum was the hot new hegemon in the region. After dealing with many internal struggles within the Aksumite Empire, King Ezana has set his eyes on ending the ancient kingdom to his North.To learn more and view images from the episode, visit our blog at https://historyofafricapodcast.blogspot.comNotre Dame StoriesStories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 Episode 7 - The Great King Ezana

King Ezana of Aksum is widely regarded among scholars of Aksumite history as the greatest ruler in the empire's history. He transformed the empire religiously, politically, and economically in a way that is unmatched by other Aksumite rulers. In this episode, we will focus on his childhood, upbringing, and the early years of his reign. Learn about how Ezana heightened Aksum's economic power, subdued his neighbors, and began the process of Christianizing the empire. To learn more about African history and see maps and artifacts mentioned in this episode, click hereNotre Dame StoriesStories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 Episode 6: The Aksumite Empire’s Greatest Defeat

In the aftermath of the great conquests of king Gadarat, Aksum was left in a vulnerable position. Diplomatically isolated, militarily exhausted, and limited only to Najran and its immediate surroundings, Aksum will soon find itself trapped in a series of perpetual conflicts in Arabia. And, in one of these many wars, Aksum will suffer the worst military defeat in its entire history. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 Episode 5: The Aksumite Invasion of Arabia

In the year 200 AD, the Aksumite King, Gadarat, went to work expanding Aksumite influence. At first, his ambitions were contained to the African continent, but when pirates from the southern Arabian kingdom of Himyar begin seizing Aksumite ships, his attention turns to the conquest of Arabia.To learn more about African history and see cool supplemental information, access our blog hereSupport the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 Episode 4: Aksum’s Humble Origins

In 300 BC, a small agrarian village in the Ethiopian highlands was beginning its rise to glory. This village, known as Aksum, would soon rise to become a great power, revered as far away as Rome, China, and Persia. Listen this week to learn about the humble origins of this magnificent civilization and its rise from humble village to global trade empire. To learn more about African history or support the show, click hereSupport the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 2 Episode 3: In with Dm’t, Out with Saba

In 690 BC, the Sabaean confederacy crumbled into a bloody civil war. As the Sabaean king scrambles to reassert his rule, the fledgling and mysterious kingdom of D'mt emerges as the new power in the Ethiopian highlands.To learn more about African history or support the show, click hereNotre Dame StoriesStories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices