- Saizana
Saizana (unvocalized Ge'ez: ሠዐዘነ "śʿzn") [E. Bernard, A.J. Drewes, and R. Schneider, "Recueil des inscriptions de l'Éthiopie des périodes pré-axoumite et axoumite. Tome I: Les inscriptions." Paris: Diffusion de Boccard, 1991, p. 247.] was the brother of King Ezana Aksum, who changed the official religion to
Christianity According to
Tyrannius Rufinus , he was converted toChristianity with his brother Ezana by the missionaryFrumentius . With his brother, he resisted the attempts of EmperorConstantius II to relieve Frumentius of his post as bishop and replace him with anArian .He was sent by Ezana with his brother Hadefa (also spelled Adiphan, Adefa) to quell an uprising by the Beja. The two brothers were victorious, and six Beja tribes (4400 people) were relocated to a province called
Matlia , possibly in modernBegemder . [Stuart Munro-Hay. "Aksum: An African Civilization of Late Antiquity". Edinburgh: University Press. 1991.]He is considered a
saint by theCoptic Church , with afeast day ofOctober 1 .References
*Holweck, F. G., "A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints". St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co. 1924.
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