Arsacid dynasty of Iberia
Encyclopedia
The Iberian Arsacids a branch of the eponymous Parthia
n dynasty, ruled the ancient Georgian
kingdom of Iberia
from c. 189 until 284 AD, when they were succeeded by the Chosroid Dynasty
.
on the Armenian throne by 180, they gained momentum to interfere in Iberia. According to the medieval Georgian chronicles, the king of Armenia, whom Professor Cyril Toumanoff
identifies with Vologases II, helped the rebellious nobles of Iberia overthrow his wife’s brother Amazaspus II of Iberia, last of the Pharnabazids
, and replace Amazaspus with his son Rev I
, whose reign (189-216) inaugurated the Arsacid dynasty in Iberia.
Even as the Arsacids set on the thrones of three Caucasia
n kingdoms – those of Armenia, Iberia, and Albania
– the dynasty was dislodged, in 226, from power in its original homeland and the more powerful and dynamic Sassanid dynasty emerged as new masters of the Iranian Empire. Although the later Georgian chronicles documents this change of power, its account of that period is full of anachronisms and semi-legendary allusions, providing little or no details about the effect of Iranian resurgence on Arsacid Iberia. What we know of that period comes from Classical
sources as well as Sassanid inscriptions.
By replacing the weak Parthian realm with a strong, centralized state, the Sassanids changed the political orientation of pro-Roman
Iberia and reduced it to a tributary state. Shapur I
(r. 242-272) placed a vassal, Amazaspus III (r. 260-265), on the throne of Iberia, possibly a rival or antiking
of Mihrdat II
. In 284, with the death of Aspagur II, the Iberian Arsacid line ended, and the Sassanids capitalized on a civil strife in the Roman Empire to establish their candidate, Mirian III
, of the Chosroid dynasty, on the throne of Iberia.
|+Arsacid kings of Iberia
|-
!Ruler
!Year
|-
|Rev I
|189
to 216
|-
|Vache
|216
to 234
|-
|Bacurius I
|234
to 249
|-
|Mithridates II
|249
to 265
|-
|Amazaspus III
|260
to 265
|-
|Aspacures I
|265
to 284
|}>
Parthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
n dynasty, ruled the ancient Georgian
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
kingdom of Iberia
Caucasian Iberia
Iberia , also known as Iveria , was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli , corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia...
from c. 189 until 284 AD, when they were succeeded by the Chosroid Dynasty
Chosroid Dynasty
The Chosroids were a dynasty of the kings and later of the presiding princes of the early Georgian state of Iberia, natively known as Kartli, from the fourth to the ninth centuries. Of Iranian origin and a branch of the Mihranid House, the family accepted Christianity as their official religion c...
.
History
Once the Arsacids, in the person of Vologases II (r. 180-191), had consolidated their holdArsacid Dynasty of Armenia
The Arsacid dynasty or Arshakuni dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Armenia from 54 AD to 428 AD. Formerly a branch of the Iranian Parthian Arsacids, they became a distinctly Armenian dynasty. Arsacid Kings reigned intermittently throughout the chaotic years following the fall of the Artaxiad Dynasty...
on the Armenian throne by 180, they gained momentum to interfere in Iberia. According to the medieval Georgian chronicles, the king of Armenia, whom Professor Cyril Toumanoff
Cyril Toumanoff
Cyril Leo Heraclius, Prince Toumanoff was an United States-based historian and genealogist who mostly specialized in the history and genealogies of medieval Georgia, Armenia, the Byzantine Empire, and Iran...
identifies with Vologases II, helped the rebellious nobles of Iberia overthrow his wife’s brother Amazaspus II of Iberia, last of the Pharnabazids
Pharnabazid Dynasty
The Pharnabazid or P’arnavaziani is the name of the first dynasty of Georgian kings of Kartli preserved by the Georgian historical tradition. Their rule lasted, with intermissions, from the 3rd century BC to the 2nd century AD. The main male line is reported to have become extinct early on and...
, and replace Amazaspus with his son Rev I
Rev I of Iberia
Rev I, "the Just" was a king of Iberia from 189 to 216 AD. His reign inaugurated the local Arsacid dynasty....
, whose reign (189-216) inaugurated the Arsacid dynasty in Iberia.
Even as the Arsacids set on the thrones of three Caucasia
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
n kingdoms – those of Armenia, Iberia, and Albania
Caucasian Albania
Albania is a name for the historical region of the eastern Caucasus, that existed on the territory of present-day republic of...
– the dynasty was dislodged, in 226, from power in its original homeland and the more powerful and dynamic Sassanid dynasty emerged as new masters of the Iranian Empire. Although the later Georgian chronicles documents this change of power, its account of that period is full of anachronisms and semi-legendary allusions, providing little or no details about the effect of Iranian resurgence on Arsacid Iberia. What we know of that period comes from Classical
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
sources as well as Sassanid inscriptions.
By replacing the weak Parthian realm with a strong, centralized state, the Sassanids changed the political orientation of pro-Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
Iberia and reduced it to a tributary state. Shapur I
Shapur I
Shapur I or also known as Shapur I the Great was the second Sassanid King of the Second Persian Empire. The dates of his reign are commonly given as 240/42 - 270/72, but it is likely that he also reigned as co-regent prior to his father's death in 242 .-Early years:Shapur was the son of Ardashir I...
(r. 242-272) placed a vassal, Amazaspus III (r. 260-265), on the throne of Iberia, possibly a rival or antiking
Antiking
An Antiking is a would-be king who, due to succession disputes or simple political opposition, declares himself king in opposition to a reigning monarch. Antikings are more often found in elected monarchies than in hereditary monarchies like those of England and France; such figures in hereditary...
of Mihrdat II
Mihrdat II of Iberia
Mihrdat II |Latinized]] as Mithridates), of the Arsacid dynasty, was a king of Iberia from 249 to 265 A.D.....
. In 284, with the death of Aspagur II, the Iberian Arsacid line ended, and the Sassanids capitalized on a civil strife in the Roman Empire to establish their candidate, Mirian III
Mirian III of Iberia
Mirian III was a king of Iberia , contemporaneous to the Roman emperor Constantine I .According to the early medieval Georgian annals and hagiography, Mirian was the first Christian king of Iberia, converted through the ministry of Nino, a Cappadocian female missionary...
, of the Chosroid dynasty, on the throne of Iberia.
|-
!Ruler
!Year
|-
|Rev I
Rev I of Iberia
Rev I, "the Just" was a king of Iberia from 189 to 216 AD. His reign inaugurated the local Arsacid dynasty....
|189
189
Year 189 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Silanus and Silanus...
to 216
216
Year 216 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sabinus and Anullinus...
|-
|Vache
Vache of Iberia
Vach'e , of the Arsacid dynasty, was a king of Iberia from 216 to 234. He is known exclusively from the medieval Georgian chronicles which make him either 20th or 22nd in the royal list of Iberia and merely relates that Vache was the son of Rev I....
|216
216
Year 216 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sabinus and Anullinus...
to 234
234
Year 234 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pupienus and Sulla...
|-
|Bacurius I
Bacurius I of Iberia
Bakur I |Latinized]] as Bacurius), of the Arsacid dynasty, was a king of Iberia from 234 to 249 A.D....
|234
234
Year 234 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pupienus and Sulla...
to 249
249
Year 249 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gavius and Aquilinus...
|-
|Mithridates II
Mihrdat II of Iberia
Mihrdat II |Latinized]] as Mithridates), of the Arsacid dynasty, was a king of Iberia from 249 to 265 A.D.....
|249
249
Year 249 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gavius and Aquilinus...
to 265
265
Year 265 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerianus and Lucillus...
|-
|Amazaspus III
|260
260
Year 260 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Saecularis and Donatus...
to 265
265
Year 265 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerianus and Lucillus...
|-
|Aspacures I
Aspagur I of Iberia
Aspagur I |Latinized]] as Aspacures), of the Arsacid dynasty, was a king of Iberia from 265 to 284 A.D.....
|265
265
Year 265 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerianus and Lucillus...
to 284
284
Year 284 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Carinus and Numerianus...
|}>