Salomon III of Ethiopia

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Salomon III (Geʽez: ሰሎሞን) was Emperor of Ethiopia for a short time in the late 1790s and is sometimes believed to be the same person as Solomon mentioned by travelers in 1809–1810. He was the son of Tekle Haymanot II and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. Some scholars also think he might be the same as Baeda Maryam II.

He was installed as emperor in 1796 by Ras Wolde Selassie of Tigray and Ras Mareʽed, serving largely as a figurehead. Salomon spent his reign fighting with Tekle Giyorgis I, his rival and brother. In May 1797, Gondar was attacked by Balambaras Asserat, who burned Tekle Giyorgis’s property. Salomon fled to Axum and lived under the protection of Ras Wolde Selassie.

Wolde Selassie supported restoring Tekle Giyorgis, but Salomon later returned to Gondar and was received by Ras Mareʽed. In June 1797, Mareʽed and Ras Guebre restored Salomon as emperor. On 22 July 1797, a battle near Gondar left Ras Wolde Gabriel and Mareʽed dead, and Salomon’s supporters were defeated. Salomon was captured by Dejazmach Gugsa and Dejazmach Alula and replaced five days later by Demetros, the great-grandson of Fasilides.

In 1802 Salomon was reportedly still a prisoner, then in Tigray. Some sources record a second brief reign in 1799 between Tekle Giyorgis I and Demetros.