Vorarbeiten zu einer Königsliste Kaukasisch-Iberiens 8. Das Ende des iberischen Königtums

Abstract

King Vaxtang I of Caucasian Iberia, who was called Gorgasali in later Georgian tradition, died around A.D. 502. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Gurgenes, who ruled peacefully for more than twenty years under Sasanian rule. However, in the later years of the Roman Emperor Justin I, Gurgenes encountered difficulties. The Persian Great King Kavad I attempted to impose Zoroastrianism on the Iberians. In response, Gurgenes rebelled and sought assistance from the Byzantines. Unfortunately, their promise of support was insufficient, forcing Gurgenes to go into hiding. He fled to Roman Lazica with his wife, relatives, and many Iberian nobles. Eventually , they traveled together to Constantinople, where Gurgenes likely died soon after. He is believed to be the last king of Iberia. In the following decades, several members of Gurgenes’ family are mentioned: his eldest brother Peranius (not his son), his son Pacurius, and a nephew named Phazas, who served in the Roman military. None of them ever returned to Iberia. However, the Georgian historical tradition presents an entirely different account of these events. According to this version, Gurgenes was succeeded by Dač’i (“of high nobility”), who ruled the Iberians until his death. After Dač’i, four other individuals are said to have reigned as kings: Bakur II, P’arsman V, P’arsman VI, and Bakur III. This tradition asserts that the period of direct Sasanian rule did not begin until the early reign of the Great King Hormizd IV (r. 579-590).