List of kings of Axum

The kings of Axum ruled an important trading state in the area which is now northern Ethiopia and Eritrea, from 400 BC to 960 AD.

Sources

Various regnal lists of Axumite monarchs have survived to the present day via manuscripts or oral tradition. However, the lists often contradict each other and many lists contain incomplete or scattered information. The lists were likely compiled over a long period at several different monasteries. Some historians consider these lists to be untrustworthy. There are a number of legendary figures at the beginning of some lists whose historicity is difficult to confirm or trace. Axumite kings may have used multiple names similar to the later Emperors of the Ethiopian Empire (1270–1974), resulting in different names for the same ruler on different lists.

Aksumite coins have proven useful for constructing a chronology of Axumite kings.Hahn, Wolfgang, "Coinage" in Uhlig, Siegbert, ed., Encyclopaedia Aethiopica: A-C (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2003), pp. 767–768. Around 98 percent of the city of Axum has not yet been excavated. At least 18 kings have been identified with coinage covering the period from the late third century to the early seventh century.

List The following table contains names from both traditional regnal lists and names that are archeologically verified. German August Dillmann grouped the regnal lists into three types and the order of names will be based on his lists. The spelling of certain names are taken from lists recorded by E. A. Wallis Budge. The overall order of monarchs is partially based on the 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia, which is the only official Ethiopian regnal list that attempted to combine names from different lists into a longer chronological order.

Legendary period Monarchs who reigned before Menelik I. PortraitNameDatesNotes Arwe "the serpent" 18th century BC(traditional) Mythical serpent who reigned for 400 years.Also known as Wainaba. Angabo 14th century BC(traditional) Killed the evil serpent king Arwe.Ruled for 200 years. [Za] Gedur I 12th century BC(traditional) Ruled for 100 years.Also known as Zagdur. Sebado 11th century BC(traditional) Ruled for 50 years. Kawnasya 10th century BC(traditional) Ruled for 1 year. [Za] Makeda / Azeb 10th century BC(traditional) Daughter of Kawnasya. Ruled for 50 years.In Ethiopian tradition, she is identified with the Biblical Queen of Sheba.

BCE era Monarchs who reigned from Menelik I to Bazen. PortraitNameDatesNotes Menelik I 10th century BC(traditional) Son of Makeda and Solomon in Ethiopian tradition.No. 1 on Dillmann's lists A and B.Reigned for 24, 25 or 29 years. [Za] Handadyu I No. 2 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 1 or 8 years. Tomai No. 2 on Dillmann's list B.Reigned for 15 years.Son of Menelik I.Sometimes known as Abd-Rakid. [Za] Aweda No. 3 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 11 years.Also known as Aweda-Amat. [Za] Gedur II No. 3 on Dillmann's list B. Aksumay No. 4 on Dillmann's list B. [Za] Awseyo No. 4 on Dillmann's list A and no. 5 on Dillmann's list B.Reigned for 3 years. [Za] Sawe / Tahawasya No. 5 on Dillmann's list A and no. 6 on list B.Reigned for 31 or 34 years. Abralyus No. 7 on Dillmann's list B. Warada Dahay No. 8 on Dillmann's list B. Handadyu II No. 9 on Dillmann's list B. Warada Nagash No. 10 on Dillmann's list B. Awseya No. 11 on Dillmann's list B. [Za] Gasyo No. 6 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for half a day. [Za] Mawat No. 7 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for either 8 years and 1 month, 8 years and 4 months, or 20 years and 1 month.Confusion of reign length may have resulted from similarity between the Ge'ez numbers for 8 (፰) and 20 (፳) and the numbers for 1 (፩) and 4 (፬). Elalyon No. 12 on Dillmann's list B. Toma Seyon No. 13 on Dillmann's list B. [Za] Bahas / Basyo No. 8 on Dillmann's list A and no. 14 on list B.Reigned for 9 years.Possibly the same king as Gasyo in list A. Awtet I No. 15 on Dillmann's list B. Zaware Nebrat No. 16 on Dillmann's list B. Safay No. 17 on Dillmann's list B. Ramhay c. 330s–320s BC(traditional) No. 18 on Dillmann's list B.According to an unpublished manuscript from Aksum, this king was a contemporary of Alexander the Great and asked for Greek technicians and engineers to build palaces, monuments and stelae, one of which was destroyed centuries later by Gudit. Hande No. 19 on Dillmann's list B. [Za] Kawida No. 9 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 2 years. [Za] Kanaz No. 10 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 10 years. [Za] Hadena No. 11 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 9 years.A female monarch according to the 1922 regnal list. [Za] Wazeha No. 12 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 1 year. [Za] Hadir No. 13 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 2 years. [Za] Kalas No. 14 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 6 or 7 years.Confusion may have arisen from the similarity of the Ge'ez numbers for 6 (፮) and 7 (፯). [Za] Satyo No. 15 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 16 or 17 years. [Za] Filya / Safelya No. 16 on Dillmann's list A and no. 20 on list B.Reigned for 26 or 27 years.E. A. Wallis Budge theorised this king was Aphilas. [Za] Aglebu / Aglebul No. 17 on Dillmann's list A and no. 21 on list B.Reigned for 3 years. [Za] Awsena No. 18 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 1 year.A female monarch according to the 1922 regnal list. Bawawel No. 22 on Dillmann's list B. [Za] Birwas / Bawaris No. 19 on Dillmann's list A and no. 23 on list B.Reigned for 29 years. [Za] Mahasi No. 20 on Dillmann's list A and no. 24 on list B.Reigned for 1 year. Nalke No. 25 on Dillmann's list B. [Za Besi] Bazen 8 BC–8 or 9 AD (E.C.)(traditional) No. 21 on Dillmann's list A and no. 26 on list B.Reigned for 16 or 17 years.Axumite regnal lists consistently date this king's reign to 8 years before the birth of Jesus.A tomb has been identified in local tradition as belong to Bazen.

CE Era (Pre-Christian) Monarchs who reigned after Bazen and before the Christianisation of Ethiopia.

PortraitNameDatesNotes [Za] Sartu No. 1 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 26 or 27 years. Senfa Asgad No. 1 on Dillmann's list C. Senfa Arad No. 1 on Dillmann's list B. [Za] L'as No. 2 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 10 years. Bahr Asagad No. 2 on both Dillmann's list B and list C. [Za] Masenh No. 3 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 7 years. Germa Sor No. 3 on Dillmann's list B. [Za] Setwa No. 4 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 9 years. Germa Asfare I No. 4 on Dillmann's list B and no. 3 on list C. [Za] Adgala No. 5 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 10 years and 6 or 7 months. [Za] Agba No. 6 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 6 months. Serada No. 4 on Dillmann's list C. [Za] Malis or Malik No. 7 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 4, 6 or 7 years. Kulu Seyon No. 5 on Dillmann's list C. [Za] Hakli No. 8 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 13 years. Zoskales 1st century The earliest known Axumite king from outside the traditional regnal lists.Recorded in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.Could be the king Za Hakli or a local ruler in Adulis.The identification with Hakli has been disputed by some historians because the earliest of the regnal lists post date the Periplus by well over a thousand years Sarguai No. 4 on Dillmann's list B and no. 6 on list C. [Za] Demahe No. 9 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 10 years. Zaray No. 5 on Dillmann's list B and no. 7 on list C. [Za] Awtet II No. 10 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 2 years. Bagamai No. 8 on Dillmann's list C. [Za] El–Aweda No. 11 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 30 years. Djan Asagad No. 9 on Dillmann's list C. Saba Asgad No. 6 on Dillmann's list B. Zegen and Rema(Joint rule) No. 12 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 4 or 8 years. Seyon Hegez No. 10 on Dillmann's list C. Seyon Geza No. 7 on Dillmann's list B. Moal Genha No. 11 on Dillmann's list C. [Za] Gafale No. 13 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 1 year. [Za] Besi Sark No. 14 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 4 years. Agdur No. 8 on Dillmann's list B and no. 13 on list C. [Za] Ela–Asguagua No. 15 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 76 or 77 years. GDRT(vocalized by historians as Gadarat) Early 3rd century Inscriptions of GDR are the oldest surviving royal inscriptions in the Ge'ez alphabet.Inscriptions mention his son BYGT (vocalized as "Beygat" or "Beyga").Possibly the king who wrote the Monumentum Adulitanum.His name could have inspired the names Gedur and Zagdur that appear on traditional lists. [Za] Ela–Herka No. 16 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 21 years. [Za] Besi Saweza No. 17 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 1 year. [Za] Wakana No. 18 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 1 or 2 days.A female monarch according to the 1922 regnal list. [Za] Hadus No. 19 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 4 months. [Za] Ela–Sagal No. 20 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 2 or 3 years. [Za] Ela–Asfeha I No. 21 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 14 years. ʽDBH(vocalized by historians as `Azaba or `Adhebah) First half of the 3rd century Known through South Arabian inscriptions.Inscriptions mention his son GRMT (vocalized as "Girma"). [Za] Ela–Segab No. 22 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 23 years. [Za] Ela–Samara No. 23 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 3 years. Sembrouthes c. 250 Known from a single inscription in Ancient Greek that was found at Dekemhare, which is dated to his 24th regnal year.First known ruler of Ethiopia to use the title "King of Kings".May have erected the Monumentum Adulitanum.May be the same king as Ela–Samara, but regnal lists only record 3 years of rule for him. DTWNS(vocalized by historians as Datawnas) Second half of the 3rd century Mentioned with his son ZQRNS (vocalized as "Zaqarnas") in an inscription from al-Mis'al in Yemen. [Za] Ela–Aiba No. 24 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 16 or 17 years. [Za] Ela–Eskendi No. 25 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 37 years. [Za] Ela–Saham I No. 26 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 9 years. [Za] Ela–San No. 27 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 13 years. [Za] Ela–Ayga No. 28 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 18 years. Endybis c. 295–310 The oldest known Axumite coins date to this king's reign. Aphilas c. 310–early 320s Only known from coins minted during his reign. Ousanas I[Za] Ela–Ameda ISaifa Ared early 320s–mid 340s Stuart Munro-Hay believed it is "very likely" that Ousanas is the king to whom Aedesius and Frumentius were brought. This king is known as Ella Amida in Ethiopian tradition.No. 29 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 30 years and 8 months according to traditional lists.Known as Tazer in some sources and lists.Saifa Ared is the throne name of Tazer, and this name is no. 9 on Dillmann's list B and no. 12 on list C.Tazer/Seifa Ared is the father of Abreha and Atsbeha in Ethiopian tradition. Wazeba late 330s Only known from coins minted during his reign, which were the first to be engraved in Ge'ez.Possibly a usurper during the reign of Ousanas. [Za] Ela–AhyawaSofya (Regent) mid 340s Regent during the minority of her son Ezana.According to an unpublished history of kings from Axum, this ruler was the wife of Ella Amida (Ousanas) and reigned for three years during the minority of her sons Abreha and Atsbeha.The Gedle Abreha and Asbeha from the Church of Abreha wa-Atsbeha names her Sofya, and states she was the wife of king Tazer (Ousanas) and mother of Abreha and Atsbeha.No. 30 on Dillmann's list A.Reigned for 3 years.Known as Egwala Anbasa in some sources.

Christian Monarchs (4th–10th centuries) Monarchs who were Christian, beginning with the reign of Ezana of Axum (historical) and/or Abreha and Atsbeha (traditional).