Egrisi

Georgian statehood

Caucasian Iberia Colchis Lazica Unified Georgian Kingdom Partitions Kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti Kingdom of Abkhazia Kingdom of Hereti Kingdom of Kakheti Kingdom of Kartli Kingdom of Imereti Democratic Republic of Georgia Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic Georgia view · talk · edit

Lazika-Egrisi

Egrisi (Georgian: ეგრისი, also ლაზიკა,Laz: Laziǩa (ლაზიკა), Persian: لازستان Lazistan) is a medieval Georgian name for the region and kingdom in the western part of modern-day Georgia, known to the Byzantine authors as Lazica (Greek:Λαζική, Lazikē) and to Persians asLazistan after the Laz tribe, which at some time dominated the local ruling élite.^[1]

The kingdom flourished between the 6th century BC and the 7th century AD. It covered part of the territory of the former kingdom Colchis and subjugated the territory of modern day Abkhazia. Throughout its existence it was mainly a Byzantine strategic vassal kingdom occasionally coming under the Sassanid Persian rule.

At some point in the early 4th century, the Christian Eparchy or bishopric of Pitiunt (Bichvinta in Georgian) was established in this kingdom. In 325 among the participants of the First Council of Nicaea was the Bishop of Pitiunt, Stratophilus. The first Christian king of Egrisi was Gubaz I; in the 5th century, Christianity was made the official religion of Egrisi. Later, the nobility and clergy of Egrisi switched from the Hellenic ecclesiastic tradition to the Georgian; and Georgian became the language of culture and education. The Bichvinta Cathedral is one of oldest monuments of theGeorgian Christian architecture constructed by the Georgian King Bagrat III of the BagrationiRoyal House in the late 10th century.^[2] It was under Bagrat III, that Egrisi unified with the eastern Georgian lands of Iberia-Kartli to form a united Kingdom of Georgia.

[edit]Rulers

The known rulers of Lazica were:^[3]

1. Agros fl. c. 2nd Cent.
2. Malaz fl. 130
3.  ??
4. Mirdat c. 360-c. 380
5. Baraz-Bakur c. 380-c. 395
6. To Iberia (Eastern Georgia) c. 395-c. 450
7.  ?
8. Gubazes I, attested ca. 456–466
9. Damnazes, ?–521/522
10. Tzath I, attested 521/522 – 527/528
11. Opsites, dates of reign unknown, likely some time before 541
12. Gubazes II ca. 541–555
13. Tzath II, 556–?
14. To Byzantine Empire 570-c. 660
15. Barnuk I 660-c. 670
16. Grigor 670-c. 675
17. Barnuk II 675-691