Stephen I of Iberia
Encyclopedia
Stephen I (died 627), of the Guaramid Dynasty
, was a presiding prince
of Iberia
(Kartli
, central and eastern Georgia
) from c. 590 to 627. He was killed during the battle with the invading Byzantine
army.
The son and successor of Guaram I of Iberia
, Stephen reversed his father’s Romanophile politics into pro-Iranian and, through loyalty to his Sassanid suzerains, succeeding in reuniting Iberia under his sway. He made Tbilisi
his capital and defended it with a Georgian-Iranian force when the Byzantine emperor Heraclius
, in alliance with the Khazars
, attacked Iberia in 626. Stephen was taken captive in the fighting and Heraclius had him flayed alive. His office was given to Adarnase I
, his relative of the old Chosroid
house.
The period of Stephen's rule coincided with another crucial moment in the history of Georgia. When Stephen switched from a pro-Roman position to cooperation with Iran, his religious sympathies shifted toward anti-Chalcedonism, leading to its official adoption by the catholicos
of Iberia in 598 or 599. By 608, however, the Georgian Orthodox Church returned to a Chalcedonic position, prompting the sister church of Armenia to break a communion with the Georgian church and excommunicate its catholicos Kirion I. It was Heraclius’s campaign, however, that brought about the final victory of Chalcedonian faith in Iberia.
Stephen I was the first among the Georgian rulers who inscribed on the obverse of the "Ibero-Sassanid" drahmas minted by himself the initials of his name, symmetrically placed on the border in Georgian stylized letters. One of the reverse of his coins, instead of the sacred flame (Atar
), the principal emblem of Zoroastrianism
, he placed the Cross
– symbol of the victory of Christianity
. This was a significant political act pointing not to Stephen’s mere Iranophilia, but rather to his efforts to reestablish the political autonomy of eastern Georgia and strengthen the Christian church.
The exterior stone plaque of the church of the Holy Cross
at Mtskheta
, Georgia, mentions the principal builders of this church: Stephanos the patricius, Demetrius the hypatos, and Adarnase the hypatos who have traditionally been equated by the Georgian scholars with Stephen I, son of Guaram
; Demetre
, brother of Stephen I and Adarnase I
. However, an opinion expressed by Professor Cyril Toumanoff
disagrees with this view by identifying these individuals with Stephen II
, Demetre (brother of Stephen I), and Adarnase II
(son of Stephen II), respectively.
Guaramid Dynasty
The Guaramid Dynasty was the younger branch of the Chosroid royal house of Iberia . They ruled Iberia as presiding princes in the periods of 588-627, 684-748, and 779/780-786, three with the dignity of curopalates bestowed by the Byzantine imperial court.- History :This branch descended from the...
, was a presiding prince
Principate of Iberia
The Principate of Iberia is a conventional term applied to an aristocratic regime in early medieval Caucasian Georgia that flourished in the period of interregnum between the sixth and ninth centuries, when the leading political authority was exercised by a succession of princes...
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...
(Kartli
Kartli
Kartli is a historical region in central-to-eastern Georgia traversed by the river Mtkvari , on which Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, is situated. Known to the Classical authors as Iberia, Kartli played a crucial role in ethnic and political consolidation of the Georgians in the Middle Ages...
, central and eastern Georgia
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...
) from c. 590 to 627. He was killed during the battle with the invading Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
army.
The son and successor of Guaram I of Iberia
Guaram I of Iberia
Guaram I was a Georgian prince, who attained to the hereditary rulership of Iberia and the Roman title of curopalates from 588 to c. 590. He is commonly identified with the Gorgenes of the Byzantine chronicler Theophanes....
, Stephen reversed his father’s Romanophile politics into pro-Iranian and, through loyalty to his Sassanid suzerains, succeeding in reuniting Iberia under his sway. He made Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
his capital and defended it with a Georgian-Iranian force when the Byzantine emperor Heraclius
Heraclius
Heraclius was Byzantine Emperor from 610 to 641.He was responsible for introducing Greek as the empire's official language. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the exarch of Africa, successfully led a revolt against the unpopular usurper Phocas.Heraclius'...
, in alliance with the Khazars
Khazars
The Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
, attacked Iberia in 626. Stephen was taken captive in the fighting and Heraclius had him flayed alive. His office was given to Adarnase I
Adarnase I of Iberia
Adarnase I or Adrnerse , of the Chosroid dynasty, was a presiding prince of Iberia from 627 to 637/642....
, his relative of the old Chosroid
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...
house.
The period of Stephen's rule coincided with another crucial moment in the history of Georgia. When Stephen switched from a pro-Roman position to cooperation with Iran, his religious sympathies shifted toward anti-Chalcedonism, leading to its official adoption by the catholicos
Catholicos
Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and in some cases is borne by the designated head of an autonomous church, in which case the holder might have other titles such as Patriarch...
of Iberia in 598 or 599. By 608, however, the Georgian Orthodox Church returned to a Chalcedonic position, prompting the sister church of Armenia to break a communion with the Georgian church and excommunicate its catholicos Kirion I. It was Heraclius’s campaign, however, that brought about the final victory of Chalcedonian faith in Iberia.
Stephen I was the first among the Georgian rulers who inscribed on the obverse of the "Ibero-Sassanid" drahmas minted by himself the initials of his name, symmetrically placed on the border in Georgian stylized letters. One of the reverse of his coins, instead of the sacred flame (Atar
Atar
Atar is the Zoroastrian concept of holy fire, sometimes described in abstract terms as "burning and unburning fire" or "visible and invisible fire" ....
), the principal emblem of Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
, he placed the Cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
– symbol of the victory of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. This was a significant political act pointing not to Stephen’s mere Iranophilia, but rather to his efforts to reestablish the political autonomy of eastern Georgia and strengthen the Christian church.
The exterior stone plaque of the church of the Holy Cross
Jvari (monastery)
Jvari or Jvari Monastery is a Georgian Orthodox monastery of the 6th century near Mtskheta , Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, eastern Georgia. The name is translated as the Monastery of the Cross...
at Mtskheta
Mtskheta
Mtskheta , one of the oldest cities of the country of Georgia , is located approximately 20 kilometers north of Tbilisi at the confluence of the Aragvi and Kura rivers. The city is now the administrative centre of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region...
, Georgia, mentions the principal builders of this church: Stephanos the patricius, Demetrius the hypatos, and Adarnase the hypatos who have traditionally been equated by the Georgian scholars with Stephen I, son of Guaram
Guaram I of Iberia
Guaram I was a Georgian prince, who attained to the hereditary rulership of Iberia and the Roman title of curopalates from 588 to c. 590. He is commonly identified with the Gorgenes of the Byzantine chronicler Theophanes....
; Demetre
Demetrius the Hypatos
Demetre "Vipatosi" was a Georgian nobleman from Iberia, and an honorary consul or hypatos. He may be identical with the brother of Prince Stephen I of Iberia known from the medieval historian Juansher as a church builder during his brother’s tenure...
, brother of Stephen I and Adarnase I
Adarnase I of Iberia
Adarnase I or Adrnerse , of the Chosroid dynasty, was a presiding prince of Iberia from 627 to 637/642....
. However, an opinion expressed by 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...
disagrees with this view by identifying these individuals with Stephen II
Stephen II of Iberia
Stephen II , of the Chosroid dynasty, was a presiding prince of Iberia from 637/642 to c. 650.The son and successor of Adarnase I, Stephen pursued his father’s pro-Byzantine politics and was probably bestowed by the Emperor with the title of patricius. In 645, however, he was forced to recognize...
, Demetre (brother of Stephen I), and Adarnase II
Adarnase II of Iberia
Adarnase II , of the Chosroid dynasty, was a presiding prince of Iberia from c. 650 to 684/5. He is presumably the Iberian patrician mentioned in the 660s letter of Anastasius Apocrisarius pertaining to the martyrdom of Maximus the Confessor, and the prince Nerses whose revolt against Arabs is...
(son of Stephen II), respectively.