Editing Frumentius (section)

==Biography==
According to the fourth-century historian [[Tyrannius Rufinus]] (x.9), who cites Frumentius' brother Edesius as his authority, as children (ca. 316) Frumentius and Edesius accompanied their uncle Meropius from their birthplace of [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]] (now in [[Lebanon]]) on a voyage to 'India'.<ref name="EB"></ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Villa|first=Massimo|date=2017|title=Frumentius in the Ethiopic sources: Mythopoeia and text-critical considerations|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/45137006|journal=Rassegna di Studi Etiopici|volume=1|issue=3|pages=87–111|doi=|jstor=45137006 |quote=The narrative is widely known. Meropius, a philosopher from Tyre on the Lebanese coast, is travelling through the Red Sea with two young brothers belonging to his own family, Frumentius and Aedesius.}}</ref> When their ship stopped at one of the harbors of the [[Red Sea]], local people massacred the whole crew, sparing the two boys, who were [[slavery|taken as slaves]] to the King of Axum. The two boys soon gained the favor of the king, who raised them to positions of trust. Shortly before his death, the king freed them. The [[Sofya of Axum|widowed queen]], however, prevailed upon them to remain at the court and assist her in the education of the young heir, [[Ezana of Axum|Ezana]], and in the administration of the kingdom during the prince's minority. They remained and (especially Frumentius) used their influence to spread Christianity. First they encouraged the Christian [[merchant]]s present in the country to practice their faith openly, and they helped them find places "where they could come together for prayer according to the Roman Rite";<ref>Cardinal [[Paulos Tzadua]] on [https://www.angelfire.com/stars4/zion/divine_liturgy_according_to_ethiopia.htm St. Frumentius and the Liturgy of the Ethiopian Church]</ref> later they converted some of the natives.<ref name="isbn0-313-32273-2" />

When the prince came of age, Edesius returned to [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]], where he stayed and was ordained a priest.<ref name="EB"/> Frumentius, eager for the conversion of Ethiopia, accompanied his brother as far as [[Alexandria]], where he requested [[Athanasius of Alexandria|Athanasius]], [[Patriarch of Alexandria]], to send a bishop and some priests as [[missionary|missionaries]] to Ethiopia. By Athanasius' own account, he believed Frumentius to be the most suitable person for the job. He consecrated him as bishop,<ref>Athanasius, ''Epistola ad Constantinum''</ref> traditionally in the year 328, or according to others, between 340 and 346.

Frumentius returned to Ethiopia, where he erected his [[episcopal see]] at [[Axum]], then converted and baptized King [[Ezana of Axum|Ezana]], who built many churches and spread Christianity throughout Ethiopia. Frumentius established the first monastery of Ethiopia, called ''[[Degol Woyane|Dabba Selama]]'' in [[Dogu'a Tembien]]. The people called Frumentius ''Kesate Birhan'' "Revealer of Light" and ''Abba Salama'' "Father of Peace". He became the first [[List of abunas of Ethiopia|''Abuna'']], a title given to the head of the [[Oriental Orthodox Churches]] in Ethiopia.

In about 356, the Byzantine emperor [[Constantius II]] wrote to King Ezana and his brother [[Saizana]], requesting them to replace Frumentius as bishop with [[Theophilos the Indian]], who supported [[Arianism]], as did the emperor. Athanasius, a leading opponent of Arianism, had appointed Frumentius. The king refused the request.<ref>[http://christianbookshelf.org/athanasius/select_works_and_letters_or_athanasius/31_letter_of_constantius_to.htm "Letter of Constantius to the Ethiopians against Frumentius"], Bible Suite, Christian Booksheld</ref><ref>[http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631232032_chunk_g978063123203210_ss1-9 "Frumentius of Axum"], Blackwell Reference Online</ref>

Ethiopian traditions credit him with the first [[Geʽez]] translation of the [[New Testament]] and being involved in the development of [[Geʽez script]] from an [[abjad]] (consonantal-only) into an [[abugida]] (syllabic).