162. Ethiopians in Roman Egypt and beyond, with Felege-Selam Solomon Yirga

A conversation with Felege Yirga (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) about the presence of Ethiopians in late antique Egypt. We discuss relations between the Roman province and the lands to the south and the roles that Ethiopians play in stories in Greek sources, especially the lives of ascetics, focusing on the monk Moses. Felege is the author of a recent monograph on post-Roman Egypt, The Chronicle of John of Nikiu: Coping with Crisis in Post-Roman Egypt (University of California Press, 2025) and is currently writing a book on "The Idea of Ethiopia." Our conversation is based on an article, "Moses the Black," that is scheduled for publication in the Dumbarton Oaks Papers.