Zoskales

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in the Periplus:

"These places, from the Calf-Eaters to the other Berber country, are governed by Zoscales; who is miserly in his ways and always striving for more, but otherwise upright, and acquainted with Greek literature."

—Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, Chap.5[1]

In the regions north and west of Adulis, in Today's modern Eritrea, there was an independent kingdom ruled by a Zôskalês. In his capital city of Adulis, Greek was the language that was widely spoken and was used as a means of communication spoken by traders, cultivated persons, and by the king himself. However, it is speculated the language spoken by the common citizen in Zôskalês’ kingdom was a Semitic dialect different from Gé‘éz spoken by their neighbors in Aksum and this Semitic language is close to modern Tigre, which is a language spoken in Eritrea's lowlands.[2]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Source
  2. ^ http://xoomer.alice.it/studieritrei/preistoria.pdf

[edit] References

  • Paul B. Henze, Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia (New York: Palgrave, 2000), p. 18


Preceded by
?		 King of Aksum Succeeded by
?
Next known king is GDRT
Languages