Ezana of Axum (King of Saba and Salhen)

Ruling from the highlands of northern Ethiopia, Ezana expanded Axumite dominion across the Red Sea into South Arabia (Yemen) and northward to Kush (Meroë). His trilingual monument, the Ezana Stone, was carved in Ge'ez, Sabaean, and Greek, recording his victories and religious transition.

He commissioned the monumental stone obelisks (stelae) of Axum—the largest single-piece stones ever quarried by ancient humans—and established the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as an enduring spiritual institution.