war,[1] the king of Hamyar was reduced to the humiliating terms of paying tribute to the Abyssinian conqueror.[2]
Although the Abyssinians had long embraced Christianity it does not appear to have been openly avowed by the royal family, at least all the old historians are agreed that Elesbaan was not a Christian. Theophanes calls him a Jew.[3] Influenced, however, by his commercial alliance with the emperor, and his profitable trade with the Christians, he appears to have been always favourably inclined towards them, and when he undertook the invasion of Hamyar, he had made a vow that, should he succeed in his enterprise, he would openly receive the religion of Christ, for it was, he said, in the cause of the Christians that he had taken up arms. Accordingly, after having subdued the kingdom of Hamyar, he hastened to fulfil his vow, by sending two of his nobles to the emperor to solicit a bishop and priests, who were willingly granted to him, according to his own choice. The ambassadors, having after some inquiries fixed upon one Johannes, as their bishop, returned with him and a number of priests to Auxuma, and the nadjash, with his courtiers and nobles, were baptized,
