Eon of Axum
Encyclopedia
Eon was a king of Axum. He is primarily known through the coins minted during his reign, where his name is written in Greek
as "Eon Bisi Anaaph". While "bisi Anaaph" is usually understood to mean "man of Anaaph", Richard Pankhurst
notes that the scholar Stephen Wright has argued the word bisi "might well be used in relation to the King's horse in the same way that Ethiopians of much later times used the word Aba. Sahle Sellassie
, for example, was often known as Aba Dina (Dina being the name of his favorite horse)."
Eon may be the same person as the King Hiuna, who is mentioned in the Book of the Himyarites as leading a military expedition from Aksum across the Red Sea
into South Arabia
; Munro-Hay notes that the "difference in spelling is no more than would result from transposing the name into the two languages concerned"; but he admits that the identification is not conclusive, or whether Hiuna was even a king.
Eon was the first king of Axum to use the mysterious title + BAC + CIN + BAX + ABA, which Munro-Hay reports has been interpreted to mean Basileus habasinon -- "King of the Habashat/Habash", a title used in South Arabian inscriptions to refer to the Axumite kings.
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
as "Eon Bisi Anaaph". While "bisi Anaaph" is usually understood to mean "man of Anaaph", Richard Pankhurst
Richard Pankhurst (academic)
Richard Keir Pethick Pankhurst OBE is a British academic with expertise in the study of Ethiopia.-Early life and education:...
notes that the scholar Stephen Wright has argued the word bisi "might well be used in relation to the King's horse in the same way that Ethiopians of much later times used the word Aba. Sahle Sellassie
Sahle Selassie
Sahle Selassie was a Meridazmach of Shewa , an important noble of Ethiopia. He was a younger son of Wossen Seged...
, for example, was often known as Aba Dina (Dina being the name of his favorite horse)."
Eon may be the same person as the King Hiuna, who is mentioned in the Book of the Himyarites as leading a military expedition from Aksum across the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
into South Arabia
South Arabia
South Arabia as a general term refers to several regions as currently recognized, in chief the Republic of Yemen; yet it has historically also included Najran, Jizan, and 'Asir which are presently in Saudi Arabia, and Dhofar presently in Oman...
; Munro-Hay notes that the "difference in spelling is no more than would result from transposing the name into the two languages concerned"; but he admits that the identification is not conclusive, or whether Hiuna was even a king.
Eon was the first king of Axum to use the mysterious title + BAC + CIN + BAX + ABA, which Munro-Hay reports has been interpreted to mean Basileus habasinon -- "King of the Habashat/Habash", a title used in South Arabian inscriptions to refer to the Axumite kings.