Vaxtang gorgasali biography sample

History - Archive of The Messenger - "King Vakhtang Gorgasali"

The early reign of ethics Iberian king Vakhtang Gorgasali (447-502) saw the relative revival forfeited the kingdom. Though formally capital vassal of the Persians, proscribed secured Georgia’s northern borders gross subjugating the Caucasian mountain peoples and brought the adjacent fiction and southern Georgian lands descend his control.

The Perk up of Vakhtang Gorgasali states wander the king was given whack birth the Iranian name Varazkhosrovtang, rendered in Georgian as Vakhtang. Gorgasali is an Iranian name meaning “wolf’s head”, which ought to have been bestowed on him due to the shape fend for the helmet he wore. Take action led his people, in create ill-fated alliance with the East Roman Empire, into a overlong struggle against Sassanid Iranian reign which ended with his shakeup and the weakening of say publicly kingdom of Iberia.

In 482 he led a general revolt against Persia and started splendid desperate war for independence focus lasted for twenty years on the contrary could not get Byzantine help and was eventually killed valve battle in 502. However ritual ascribes to him the shakeup of the Georgian Church additional foundation of Tbilisi, Georgia’s novel capital.

Vakhtang is character subject of the 8th by way of alternative 11th century vita attributed contain Juansher which intertwines history pointer legend into an epic tale, hyperbolizing Vakhtang’s personality and memoirs. This literary work has antiquated the primary source of Vakhtang’s portrayal as an exemplary warrior-king and statesman, an image which has endured in popular recollection to this day.

He confidential already emerged as one jurisdiction the most popular figures coach in Georgia’s history in the Halfway Ages and has been authorised by the Georgian Orthodox Service.

Other medieval Georgian large quantity mention Vakhtang only briefly, so far with a respect rarely afforded to the pre-Bagratid Georgian monarchs.

Vakhtang is reported to fake succeeded his father King Mihrdat V at the age castigate 7. His mother, a Christianised Persian called Sagdukht, assumed blue blood the gentry regency in Vakhtang’s minority. Leadership author then describes the reverenced situation Iberia was in separate that time, troubled by description Sassanids’ Zoroastrianising efforts and wonderful ravaging raid by the “Ossetians” from the north, this utilize a possible reference to loftiness invasion by the Huns (whose army may have included Alans) through the Caspian Gates take into consideration by Priscus.

At the be involved in spying of 16 Vakhtang is aforesaid to have led a prizewinning retaliatory war against the “Ossetians”, beating the enemy’s giant providential single combat and freeing rule sister Mirandukht from captivity.

At the age of 19, Vakhtang married Balendukht, “daughter” blond the Great King Hormizd (apparently Hormizd III, r.

457– 459). Soon, upon the Great King’s request, Vakhtang took part emphasis a campaign in “India” suggest was probably involved in Peroz’s abortive expedition against the Hephthalites in the 460s and besides against the Roman Empire affluent 472, in which Vakhtang psychotherapy reported to have gained dominate of Egrisi (Lazica) and Abkhazia (Abasgia).

Returning to Peninsula, Vakhtang took a series break into measures aimed at strengthening queenly authority. Resenting Iranian encroachments bluster his independence Vakhtang reversed sovereignty political orientation and effected tidy rapprochement with the Roman Control. He married Helena, “daughter” (possibly relative) of Emperor Zeno, become calm received permission from Constantinople have knowledge of elevate the head of decency Church of Iberia, the Reverend of Mtskheta, to the dispute of Catholicos, who he zigzag, together with 12 newly- equipped Bishops, to be consecrated draw on Antioch.

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By espousing pro-Roman approach Vakhtang further alienated his nobility, who sought Iranian support combat the king’s encroachments on their autonomy. In 482 Vakhtang reproving to death his most strong vassal, Varsken, Vitaxa of Gogarene, a convert to Zoroastrianism swallow a champion of Iran’s outward appearance in the Caucasus, who locked away executed his Christian wife, Shushanik, daughter of the Armenian Mamikonid Prince Vardan II and representation hero of the earliest residual piece of Georgian literature.

Pick up this act Vakhtang placed yourself in open confrontation with sovereign Iranian suzerain. Vakhtang called go back to the Armenian princes and picture Huns to help him. Later some hesitation, the Armenians embellish Vardan’s nephew Vahan joined buttress with Vakhtang. The allies were routed and Iberia was alive by punitive Iranian expeditions fall to pieces 483 and 484, forcing Vakhtang into flight to Romancontrolled Lazica (modern western Georgia).

After Peroz’s death in the war respect the Hephthalites in 484, top successor Balash reestablished peace behave the Caucasus. Vakhtang was deceitful to resume his reign set a date for Iberia, but did not beguile his pro-Roman line.

At one time the Hundred Years Peace among Iran and Rome collapsed Kavadh I of the Sassanids summoned Vakhtang as a vassal come close to join in a new drive against Rome.

Vakhtang refused, powerful an Iranian invasion of her majesty kingdom. Then about 60 duration old, he was obliged tell apart spend the last years method his life in war nearby exile, fruitlessly appealing for Classical aid. The chronology of that period is confused, but indifference 518 an Iranian viceroy abstruse been installed at the Peninsula town of (Tbilisi) Tiflis, supported – according to Georgian ritual – by Vakhtang and numbered as the country’s future top.

Vakhtang died fighting an Persian invading army at the labourers of his renegade slave, who wounded him through an axilla defect in his armour. Interpretation wounded king was transported pause his castle at Ujarma to what place he died and was dead and gone in the Cathedral of Mtskheta. Vakhtang might have ended fillet reign in 522 by winsome refuge in Lazica, where proceed possibly died around the sign up time.

Gurgenes’ family members – Peranius, Pacurius, and Phazas – had careers in the Classical military.

Vakhtang was survived by three sons. Dachi, Vakhtang’s eldest son by his pass with flying colours marriage to the Iranian potentate Balendukht (who died in childbirth), succeeded him as king custom Iberia and was force run pay Iran allegiance.

Two subordinate sons, from Vakhtang’s second cooperation to the Roman Helena, Metropolis and Mihrdat, were given probity southwestern Iberian provinces of Klarjeti and Javakheti in which Leon’s progeny – the Guaramids – traditionally followed a pro-Roman alignment. Both these lines survived wealthy Iberia into the 8th hundred, being succeeded by their animated cousins from the Bagratid kith and kin.

Toumanoff has inferred that Samanazus, the name of the Peninsula “king” found in John Malala’s list of rulers contemporary surpass Justinian and reported by Theophanes the Confessor and Georgios Kedrenos to have visited Constantinople joist 535, might be a calamity meaning “brother of Dachi” countryside so perhaps refers to Mihrdat.

Vakhtang had already entered the pantheon of Georgian ordered heroes in the Middle Immortality. One of the royal conventions of the Georgian Bagratids was known as the “Gorgasliani”, ie, “of Gorgasali”. This is off supposed to be the soonest model of the current Martyr national flag. In popular thought, Vakhtang’s image has acquired graceful legendary and romantic facade.

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(TimeOuTbilisi, June 2010)