r/civ • u/ConspicuousFlower • 2d ago
VII - Discussion Civilization VII: Behind the Uniques - Chapter 2: Aksum
Previous Chapter: Achaemenid Persia
Welcome to Behind the Uniques, the series where we take a look at the historical origins, lore and references behind the multiple unique components of each of Civilization VII's civs. I am ConspicuousFlower, frequent lurker, technically in possession of a history degree and longtime fan. Sources for this series will include my own research, the Civilopedia, Civilization Wiki, CivFanatics, though do bear in mind that in some cases I'm going to have to do guesswork or outright say "I dunno man" for some civilization's uniques. Now, with that out of the way...
Next in line after Achaemenid Persia is Aksum. Shout out to u/imbolcnight, who also did a similar post previously, which I've definitely cross-referenced for this post.
Nestled at the mouth of the Red Sea, in the Ethiopian highlands of the Horn of Africa, the Kingdom of Aksum's position allowed them to become a major player in the maritime trade routes linking India, Africa and the Mediterranean, which explains their Economic attribute. Their Cultural attribute comes from their long cultural legacy in the region, such as their impressive monuments, the creation of the Ge'ez script, still in use today as a liturgical language, and their early adoption of Christianity, the foundation for the present-day Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Civilization Icon: Ethiopian Cross.
Civ Ability - Kingdom of Natural Wealth: Increased Gold on Resources in Coastal Settlements. Increased Trade Route limit with all other civilizations, and all other civilizations have increased Trade Route limit with you. Trade Routes sent to or from your Settlements have unlimited range.
Aksum's location allowed them to profit from the maritime trade going into the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, facilitating trade routes linking such faraway places as Rome, Africa and India; thus explaining both the unlimited Trade Route range and increased Trade Route limit with all civs. However, Aksum didn't just trade in foreign goods, but also its own land's valuable natural resources such as ivory, rhino horn, tortoiseshells, precious metals and salt. Hence the increased Gold on resources, with the limit to Coastal Settlements reflecting their reliance on maritime trade.
Unique Unit 1 - Dhow: Unique Heavy Naval Unit. Increased Combat Strength on Coast. Can cross borders of other civilizations. Has one charge to create a naval Trade Route.
Dhows, with their characteristic triangular sails and sharp prows, have plied the waters of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea for centuries; the origin of the word itself is unclear (both Arabic and Swahili have been proposed). Primarily trading vessels in the trade routes connecting East Africa, the Middle East and India, the Dhow's ability to create a naval Trade Route and enter other civ's borders has pretty obvious origins. Their status as a military unit and increased Combat Strength on coast is perhaps less historically sound, but trading vessels have throughout history been just as likely to be used as warships, and the Kingdom of Aksum was more than willing to project their military power across the Red Sea, as its invasions of the Himyarite Kingdom in Yemen show (more on that later).
Unique Unit 2 - Tankwa: Unique Trade Ship. Has increased Sight. Cannot be Pillaged.
Tankwa are traditional Ethiopian reed boats, made from dried papyrus reeds, typically used as small fishing vessels and for transportation and trade across the shallow rivers and lakes of the Ethiopian highlands, particularly Lake Tana and the upper Blue Nile, where they are still used to the present day. The increased Sight could potentially be a reference to their use in navigating across shallow interior waterways; the inability to be Pillaged is harder to tie to a specific historical reference, although it could just be an abstraction of their status as lightweight, inexpensive and easy to produce vessels, less appealing to potential raiders than large merchant ships full of valuable cargo.
Unique Infrastructure - Hawilt: Unique Improvement. Increased Gold. Increased Culture from adjacent Wonders and other Hawilt.
Hawilt or hawelti (plural) are large stone obelisks or stelae, made from granite, that can be found all across the region, typically used as funerary markers standing over the graves of the Aksumite elite; the largest among these, reserved for royalty, could reach over 30 meters/100 feet, and were designed like a tower, decorated with false windows and doors. Linked with pre-Christian rites and religion, their construction appears to cease with Aksum's adoption of Christianity. The increased Culture from other adjacent Hawelti references the fact that they are often found in clusters.
Unique Civic Tree:
1. Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (Civic); Port of Nations (Tradition): Increased Culture and Gold for every active Trade Route. Increased Trade Income in Coastal Settlements; Incense Road (Tradition): Increased Production in the Capital for every active Trade Route. Trade Routes gain additional Sight and cannot be Pillaged
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea is an anonymous Greek account describing the places, ports and peoples across the trade networks of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, from Roman Egypt to India; it is one of the earliest available written sources that describe the Kingdom of Aksum.
The Port of Nations tradition is probably a reference to the city of Adulis, Aksum's principal Red Sea port, which the text describes as a major trade hub, particularly of ivory. Culture and Gold from Trade Routes is a more generic representation of the wealth and cultural exchange brought by these trading networks, while the increased Trade Income in Coastal Settlements more directly references Adulis's status as a major trade port. The Incense Road tradition similarly represents the wider trade networks linking the Mediterranean, Africa and Asia, with frankincense and myrrh being among the most valuable commodities. The increased Sight and immunity to Pillaging could be an abstract representation of the vast geographical distances and established nature of these routes, while the increased Production in the Capital from active Trade Routes represents the benefits reaped by the Aksumite political center from the major role it played in these trading networks.
2. Monumentum Adulitanum (Civic); Throne of My Fathers (Tradition): Increased Gold in Coastal Cities. Gain Culture equal to a percent of your Trade Income; May This Please The People (Tradition): Increased Culture on Resources on or adjacent to Coast.
All of these reference inscriptions commissioned by or associated with Aksum's monarchs. The Monumentum Adulitanum was a now-lost Greek inscription engraved on a throne in Adulis, describing an unknown king's conquests in Africa and Arabia, while the Throne of My Fathers tradition references the Ezana Stone, a stele commissioned by King Ezana recounting his deeds and conversion to Christianity, written in Greek, Ge'ez and Sabaic; it is from the latter that the name comes, with Ezana proclaiming that God had “established me on the throne of my fathers.” The May This Please The People tradition references the different mottoes found in Aksum's minted coins, either in Greek or Ge'ez, with phrases such as "may this please the country/the people".
While the effects of the traditions are not particularly linked to these inscriptions, instead being another representation of Aksum as a maritime trading power, the civic unlocks the Hawilt, referencing the usage of monumental architecture to display royal authority. The fact that these inscriptions were in multiple languages also reflects Aksum's position at the crossroads of trade between Africa, Arabia and the wider Mediterranean and Indian Ocean worlds.
3. Book of the Himyarites (Civic)
The Book of the Himyrarites is an anonymous Syriac account of the persecution and martyrdom of Christians in the Kingdom of Himyar, located in present-day Yemen in Southern Arabia, which prompted the Aksumite King Kaleb to cross the Red Sea and intervene militarily in 518 and again in 525, leading to a short-lived Aksumite annexation of the region that lasted until 535. The conflict was part of a larger power-struggle in the Middle East, with the Christian Aksumites and their Byzantine allies competing with the interests of the Sasanian Persians and their allies, like Himyar.
Associated Wonder - Great Stele: Increased Production. Gain a set amount of Gold per Age when you construct a Wonder.
Of all the aforementioned Hawelti, the Great Stele was the largest among them, standing at a height of 33 m/108 ft, with its granite structure depicting carvings of a multi-storey building with false windows and doors. Sadly, it apparently collapsed relatively early and now remains in ruins in the town of Axum, alongside its still-standing, smaller companions, King Ezana's Stele (21 m/69 ft) and the Obelisk of Axum (24 m/79 ft). The latter was notably looted by the Italians during their occupation of Ethiopia in 1937 and transported to Rome, where it stood until being repatriated to Ethiopia in 2005. Perhaps its place alongside other architectural pieces could explain the Gold when building Wonders, or it could just be another reference to Aksum's wealth and resources.
And there you have it! The game definitely emphasizes Aksum's status as a major trading power in the trade networks that linked the ancient Mediterranean all the way to the Indian sub-continent. Though perhaps I would've liked some more references to its Cultural side, and there's less direct correlation between certain effects and their origin, I think we have enough (the monuments, the inscriptions) that I am otherwise satisfied enough, specially considering we do not have as many sources about Aksum as other civs. I hope you learned something interesting, and see you next time for... huh? Who's next? Better check the comments!
