re an ▁and ▁northern ▁Eth iop ian ▁High lands ▁beginning ▁around ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁century ▁BC . ▁They ▁established ▁bases ▁on ▁the ▁northern ▁high lands ▁of ▁the ▁Eth iop ian ▁Pl ate au ▁and ▁from ▁there ▁expanded ▁south ward . ▁The ▁Pers ian ▁religious ▁figure ▁Man i ▁listed ▁Ax um ▁with ▁Rome , ▁Pers ia , ▁and ▁China ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁great ▁powers ▁of ▁his ▁time . ▁The ▁orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁Ax um ite ▁Kingdom ▁are ▁unclear , ▁although ▁exper ts ▁have ▁offered ▁their ▁spec ulations ▁about ▁it . ▁ ▁Christian ity ▁was ▁introduced ▁into ▁the ▁country ▁by ▁F rument ius , ▁who ▁was ▁consec r ated ▁first ▁bishop ▁of ▁Ax um ▁by ▁Saint ▁Ath anas ius ▁of ▁Alexand ria ▁about ▁ 3 3 0 . ▁F rument ius ▁converted ▁Ez ana , ▁who ▁left ▁several ▁ins cri ptions ▁detail ing ▁his ▁reign ▁both ▁before ▁and ▁after ▁his ▁conversion . ▁One ▁ins cription ▁found ▁at ▁Ax um , ▁states ▁that ▁he ▁conquer ed ▁the ▁nation ▁of ▁the ▁Bog os , ▁and ▁returned ▁thanks ▁to ▁his ▁father , ▁the ▁god ▁Mars , ▁for ▁his ▁victory . ▁Later ▁ins cri ptions ▁show ▁Ez ana ' s ▁growing ▁attachment ▁to ▁Christian ity , ▁and ▁Ez ana ' s ▁co ins ▁bear ▁this ▁out , ▁sh ifting ▁from ▁a ▁design ▁with ▁disc ▁and ▁cres cent ▁to ▁a ▁design ▁with ▁a ▁cross . ▁Ex ped itions ▁by ▁Ez ana ▁into ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁K ush ▁at ▁M ero e ▁in ▁Sud an ▁may ▁have