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Pharnavaz I
KingofIberiaandColchis[1]
Reliefof King Pharnavaz[where?]
King of Iberia
(more...)
Reign302–237 BC[b]
299–234 BC[c]
284–219 BC[d]
PredecessorAzo of Iberia
(office created)
SuccessorSauromaces I
Born329, 326[2]or 311 BC
Mtskheta,Kartli
Died237, 234 or 219 BC (aged 92)
Mtskheta,Kingdom of Iberia
Burial
Armazi,Kingdom of Iberia(undisclosed)
SpouseDurdzukwoman
IssueSauromaces I
DynastyPharnavazid
FatherGeorgianprince[3]
MotherPersianwoman[4]
ReligionGeorgian paganism(God Armazi) (Self-deification)

Pharnavaz I[a](/fɑːrnɑːvɑːz/;Georgian:ფარნავაზ I,romanized:parnavaz IGeorgian pronunciation:[pʰaɾnavaz]) was aking(mepe) ofKartli,an ancientGeorgiankingdom known asIberiainclassical antiquity.The Georgian Chroniclescredits him with being the first monarch founding the kingship of Kartli and thePharnavazid dynasty,while other independent chronicles, such asThe Conversion of Kartlimake him the second Georgian monarch. Based on the medieval evidence, most scholars locate Pharnavaz's rule in the 3rd century BC: 302–237 BC according toPrince Vakhushti of Kartli,299–234 BC according toCyril Toumanoffand 284–219 BC according toPavle Ingoroqva.[5]Pharnavaz's rise, advent and imperial expansion of the Iberian monarchy was directly tied to the victory ofAlexander the Greatover theAchaemenid Empire.[6][7]Pharnavaz ruled under the suzerainty of theSeleucid Empire.[8]

Life

[edit]

According to theGeorgian royal annals,Pharnavaz descended from Uplos, son ofMtskhetos,son ofKartlos,who was one of the powerful and famous eight brothers, who from their part were descendants ofTargamos,son ofTarsi,the grandson ofJapheth,son of the BiblicalNoah.He is not directly attested in non-Georgian sources and there is no definite contemporary indication that he was indeed the first of the Georgian kings. His story is saturated with legendary imagery and symbols, and it seems feasible that, as the memory of the historical facts faded, the real Pharnavaz "accumulated a legendary façade" and emerged as the model pre-Christianmonarch in the Georgian annals.[9]

According to thec. 800chronicleThe Life of Kings,Pharnavaz had a distinguished genealogy, tracing back toKartlos,the mythicalethnarchof Kartli.[10]His paternal uncle,Samara,held the position ofmamasakhlisi( "father of the house" ) of the Georgian tribes aroundMtskheta.[11]Pharnavaz's mother is claimed to have been aPersianwoman fromGabai,[4][12]whomPrince Teimuraz of Georgiaand PatriarchAnton I of Georgiaidentify with a daughter of KingDarius III.[13]The entire story of Pharnavaz, although written by a Christian chronicler, abounds in ancient Iranian-like imagery and mystic allusions, a reflection of the archaeologically confirmed cultural and presumably political ties between Iran and Kartli of that time. The name "Pharnavaz" is also an illustrative example with its rootpar- being based upon thePersianfarnah,the divine radiance believed by the ancient Iranians to mark a legitimate dynast (cf.khvarenah).[14]The dynastic tag Parnavaziani ( "of/from/named for Pharnavaz" ) is also preserved in the earlyArmenianhistories as P'arnawazean (Faustus of Byzantium5.15; fifth century) and P'arazean (History of Armenia14; probably the early fifth century), an acknowledgment that a king named Pharnavaz was understood to have been the founder of a Georgian dynasty.[9][15]Pharnavaz is also mentioned in theStele of Serapit.[16][17]

Perhaps the most artistically rounded section of the Georgian annals, the narrative follows Pharnavaz's life from birth to burial.[18]Aged 3,[19][20]small Pharnavaz's family is destroyed, and his heritage is usurped byAzoninstalled byAlexander the Greatduring his campaign in Kartli. Alexander's invasion of Iberia, remembered not only by the Georgian historical tradition, but also byPliny the Elder(4.10.39) andGaius Julius Solinus(9.19), appears to be memory of someMacedonianinterference in Iberia, which must have taken place in connection with the expedition mentioned byStrabo(11.14.9) sent by Alexander in 323 BC to the confines of Iberia, in search ofgold mines.[2]

Pharnavaz is brought up fatherless, but a magic dream, in which he anoints himself with the essence of the Sun, heralds theperipeteia.He is persuaded by this vision to "devote [himself] to noble deeds". He then sets off and goes hunting. In a pursuit of a deer, he encounters a mass of treasure stored in a hidden cave.[21]Pharnavaz retrieves the treasure and exploits it to mount a loyal army against the tyrannical Azon. He is aided byKuji of Colchis,who eventually marries Pharnavaz's sister.[22]The rebels are also joined by 1,000 soldiers from Azon's camp; they are anachronistically referred to by the author asRomans,and claimed to have been entitled by the victorious Pharnavaz asaznauri(i.e., nobles) after Azon (this etymology is false, however).[9]

The main threads of Pharnavaz's story - a fatherless boy hidden and raised in a remote mountains, a forgotten lineage, his dreams, sacral kingship, solar imagery, the hunt, discovery of cave-concealed treasure etc. are reminiscent of legends aboutIran's founding kings, likeCyrus the GreatandArdashir I.[23]Pharnavaz's self-anointment may have been a laterSasanianinspiration, as some earlyShahanshahscrowned themselves.[24]

Reign

[edit]
The kingdom's borders per theGeorgian royal annals.

In the ensuing battle, Azon is defeated and killed, and Pharnavaz becomes the king of Kartli at the age of 27.[2]He is reported to have acknowledged the suzerainty of theSeleucids,theHellenisticsuccessors of Alexander in theMiddle East,who are afforded by the Georgian chronicles the generic name ofAntiochus.[9]

ფარნავაზ წარავლინნა მოციქულნი წინაშე მეფისა ანტიოქოს ასურასტანისა, და წარსცა ძღუენი დიდ-ძალი. და აღუთქუა მას მსახურება, და ითხოვა მისგან შეწევნა ბერძენთა ზედა. ხოლო ანტიოქოს შეიწყნარა ძღუენი მისი, და უწოდა შვილად თჳსად, და წარმოსცა გჳრგჳნი.
Pharnavaz sent his apostles towards the King Antiochus ofAssyria,and gave him huge gifts. And promised to serve him, and asked him for help against theGreeks.And Antiochus received his gifts, and called him a son, and gave him thecrown.[25]

Pharnavaz is also said to have patterned his administration upon an "Iranian" model.[26]

ესრეთ განაწესა ესე ყოველი ფარნავაზ მიმსგავსებულად სამეფოსა სპარსთასა.
And here Pharnavaz made all and everything alike the Kingdom of thePersians.[27](i.e. theAchaemenid Empire.)[28]

Pharnavaz had introduced a military-administrative organization based on a network of regional governors oreristavi.[29]The insignia of the eristavi, received from the king, constituted asceptre,a special signetring,beltandarmament.[30]Iberia had in total seveneristavis,inColchis,[31]Kakheti,[32]Khunani[33](modern-day northernAzerbaijan), Samshvilde[34](Kvemo Kartli), Tsunda[35](includedJavakheti,KolaandArtaani),Odzrkhe[36]andKlarjeti.[37]The kingdom had onespaspetwho was under the direct control of the royal power based in InnerKartli.[38]Eristavates mimicked aspects of Achaemenidsatrapiesand Seleucidstrategoi.The major motive of later historian of the chronicles was to convince posterity that the basic political structure ofKartliwas created by the very first Georgian monarch in the wake ofWars of Alexander the Great;was of Achaemenid administrative system and had remained stable throughoutHellenistic,ParthianandSasaniantimes. In this way, the long-term viability and stability of the Georgian realm are established.[39]

The hierarchic structure created by Pharnavaz was the following:king;commander-in-chief (spaspet) of the royal army;eristavis;middle commanders (atasistavis tsikhistavis) of the garrisons stationed in the royal strongholds; junior commanders (asistavis) who were the younger sons of the aristocratic families; mercenary professional warriors from the neighboring countries and all the soldiers organized around the entire kingdom.[40]

It is evident that the division of Iberia by Pharnavaz intosaeristavosserved first and foremost a military aim, namely the organization of people for the purpose of defence. This organization was not so much directed against other countries. Back then the total population of the kingdom would have been, including foreign captives and the population of the tributary areas, about 600,000, which could raise a fairly big army not less than 100,000. According toStrabothe Iberian army numbered 70–80,000 so it appears that each saeristavo had 10,000 soldiers.[41]

While Georgian and Classical evidence makes the contemporaneous Kartlian links with the Seleucids plausible (Toumanoff has even implied that the kings of Kartli might have aided the Seleucids in holding the resurgentOrontidsof Armenia in check[42]), Pharnavaz's alleged reform of the eristavi fiefdoms is most likely a back-projection of the medieval pattern of subdivision to the remote past.[43]

Pharnavaz is then reported to have embarked on social and cultural projects; he supervised two building projects: the raising of the idolArmazi– reputedly named after him – on a mountain ledge and the construction of asimilarly named fortress.[43]

Pharnavaz made alliances with various North Caucasian peoples during his reign, to whom he called upon for help against both Macedonia and internal foes. He took aDurdzukwoman in marriage, in order to consolidate the alliance of Iberia with the Durdzuks, who helped him consolidate his reign against his unruly vassals.[44]Similarly he married his sister to aSarmatianchief.[45]

According to theGeorgian royal annalshe also created theGeorgian scriptand made theGeorgian languageanofficial languageof the kingdom:[46]

და ესე ფარნავაზ იყო პირველი მეფე ქართლსა შინა ქართლოსისა ნათესავთაგანი. ამან განავრცო ენა ქართული, და არ-ღა-რა იზრახებოდა სხუა ენა ქართლსა შინა თჳნიერ ქართულისა. და ამან შექმნა მწიგნობრობა ქართული. და მოკუდა ფარნავაზ, და დაფლეს წინაშე არმაზისა კერპისა.
And here Pharnavaz was first king of Kartli from race ofKartlos.He spread theGeorgian language,and there was no language but Georgian only in land of Kartli. And he created theGeorgian script.And died Pharnavaz, and he was buried in front ofArmazi.[e]

The chronicles report Pharnavaz's lengthy reign of 65 years.[9][47][2]

ამან ფარნავაზ მოზღუდა ქალაქი მცხეთა მტკიცედ, და ყოველნი ქალაქნი და ციხენი ქართლისანი, მოოჴრებულნი ალექსანდრესგან, ამან აღაშენნა. და ვერ-ღა-რა იძიეს შური ბერძენთა მის ზედა, რამეთუ უცალო იყვნეს ბერძენნი ბრძოლისაგან ჰრომთასა.
Pharnavaz took the city ofMtskhetafirmly, and all the cities and castles of Kartli, destroyed byAlexander,he rebuilt them. And theGreekscould not avenge upon him, as the Greeks had warriors no more, because they fought inRome.[48]

Upon his death, he was buried in front of the idol Armazi and worshipped. His sonSauromaces Isucceeded him to the throne.[49][50][51]

Pharnavaz'sgraveis undisclosed so far. One of the last monarchs who visited his grave to adorn it and pay his respects was KingMirian III.[52]Pharnavaz's very burial in front of idolArmazisuggests aHellenistic deificationof the early monarchs of Iberia.[39]

Pharnavaz and Arrian's Pharasmanes

[edit]

Several modern scholars have been tempted to make identification between the Pharnavaz of the medieval Georgian tradition and the Pharasmanes of theGreco-RomanhistorianArrian,a 2nd-century AD author ofThe Anabasis of Alexander.Arrian recounts that "Pharasmanes (Фαρασμάνης), king of theChorasmians",visitedAlexander the Greatwith 1500 horseman, and pledged his support should Alexander desire to campaign to theEuxinelands and subdue Colchians, whom Pharasmanes names as his neighbors. Apart from the similarity of the names of Pharasmanes and Pharnavaz (both names are apparently based on the same root, the Iranianfarnah), the king of Chorasmia inCentral Asiareports Colchis (today's western Georgia, i.e., the western neighbor of ancient Kartli/Iberia) to be a neighboring country.[53]Some Georgian scholars have suggested that the Greek copyists of Arrian might have confused Chorasmia withCholarzene(Chorzene), a Classical rendering of the southwest Georgian marchlands (the medievalTao-Klarjeti), which indeed bordered with Colchis andPontus.[49][54]

According toArrian:[55]

At this time also came Pharasmanes, king of the Chorasmians, toAlexanderwith 1500 horsemen, who affirmed that he dwelt on the confines of the nations of theColchiansand the women calledAmazons,and promised, if Alexander was willing to march against these nations in order to subjugate the races in this district whose territories extended to the Black Sea, to act as his guide through the mountains and to supply his army with provisions. Alexander then gave a courteous reply to the men who had come from the Scythians, and one that was adapted to the exigencies of that particular time; but said that he had no desire for a Scythian wedding. He thanked Pharasmanes and concluded a friendship and alliance with him, saying that at present it was not convenient for him to march towards theBlack Sea.After introducing Pharasmanes as a friend toArtabazos II of Phrygia,to whom he had intrusted the government of the Bactrians, and to all the other viceroys who were his neighbors, he sent him back to his own abode. He told Pharasmanes that his mind at that time was engrossed by the desire of conquering India; for when he had subdued them, he should possess the whole of Asia. He added that when Asia was in his power he would return to Greece, and thence make an expedition with all his naval and military forces to the eastern part of theBlack Seathrough the Hellespont and Propontis. And he desired Pharasmanes to reserve the fulfilment of his present promises until then.

Legacy

[edit]
Pharnavaz Street inBatumi.

TheBagrationi dynastyclaimed descent directly from Pharnavaz.[56]During the continuity of monarchy in Georgia, the Georgian kings presented themselves as heirs to theKingdom of Iberiafounded by King Pharnavaz.[57]

InTbilisithere is a King Pharnavaz Street, Avenue, and also a statue of Pharnavaz. Also, there are streets named after Pharnavaz inBatumi,Kutaisi,Khashuri,Gori,Gurjaani,Sachkhere,Zestaponiand others. Some buildings, including schools and hotels, also bear his name, as well as about five hundred Georgians.[58]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^
    AlsotransliteratedasParnavaz,Farnavaz,Pharnabaz,Pharnabaze,Pharnabazo,PharnabazusorPharnaoz
  2. ^
    According toPrince Vakhushti of Kartli
  3. ^
    According toCyril Toumanoff
  4. ^
    According toPavle Ingoroqva
  5. ^
    This account is now considered legendary, and is rejected by scholarly consensus, as no archaeological confirmation has been found so far. An alternative interpretation of this tradition is the pre-Christian use of foreign scripts (alloglottography inAramaic Alpha bet) to write down Georgian texts. The existence of a peculiar local form of Aramaic in pre-Christian Georgia has been archaeologically documented.

References

[edit]
  1. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 24, line of edition 6–7
  2. ^abcdToumanoff, p. 9
  3. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 20, line of edition 17
  4. ^abGeorgian royal annals, page of edition 20, line of edition 18
  5. ^Rapp, p. 274.
  6. ^Rapp (2014), p. 203
  7. ^Rayfield (2013), p. 23
  8. ^Rayfield (2013), pp. 22-23
  9. ^abcdeRapp, p. 276.
  10. ^Rayfield (2013), p. 15
  11. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 20, line of edition 17-18-19
  12. ^Rapp (2014), p. 205-239
  13. ^Prince Royal Teimuraz, History of Iberia or Georgia, that is All of Sakartvelo, 1832, pp. 111-112
  14. ^Rapp, pp. 275-276.
  15. ^Rayfield (2013), p. 22
  16. ^Gamkrelidze, p. 122
  17. ^Rapp (2014), p. 216
  18. ^Rayfield, p. 60.
  19. ^Toumanoff, p. 8
  20. ^Rapp (2014), p. 205
  21. ^Rayfield, p. 61; Rapp, p. 276.
  22. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 24, line of edition 3
  23. ^Rapp (2014), p. 208
  24. ^Rapp (2014), p. 209
  25. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 23, line of edition 12-13-14-15
  26. ^Rapp, p. 275.
  27. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 25, line of edition 4
  28. ^Rapp (2014), p. 211
  29. ^Rapp, p. 277; Suny, p. 12.
  30. ^Gamkrelidze, p. 134
  31. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 24, line of edition 9–11
  32. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 24, line of edition 12–13
  33. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 24, line of edition 14–15
  34. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 24, line of edition 16–17
  35. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 24, line of edition 18–19
  36. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 24, line of edition 20–21
  37. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 24, line of edition 22–23
  38. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 24, line of edition 24–25; page of edition 25, line of edition 2–3
  39. ^abRapp (2014), p. 212
  40. ^Gamkrelidze, p. 135
  41. ^Henri J. M. Claessen, Peter Skalnik, The Early State, p. 263
  42. ^Toumanoff, p. 185.
  43. ^abRapp, p. 277.
  44. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 25, line of edition 5
  45. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 24, line of edition 2
  46. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 26, line of edition 8-9-10
  47. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 25, line of edition 14
  48. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 25, line of edition 6-7-8-9
  49. ^abRapp, p. 280.
  50. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 26, line of edition 13
  51. ^Rayfield (2013), p. 24
  52. ^Georgian royal annals, page of edition 65, line of edition 19
  53. ^Rapp, p. 279.
  54. ^Giorgi L. Kavtaradze.The Interrelationship between the Transcaucasian and Anatolian Populations by the Data of the Greek and Latin Literary Sources.The Thracian World at the Crossroads of Civilisations. Reports and Summaries. The 7th International Congress of Thracology. P. Roman (ed.). Bucharest: the Romanian Institute of Thracology, 1996.
  55. ^Arrian, Alexander the Great: The Anabasis and the Indica, p. 118 4-5-6
  56. ^Salia, p. 129
  57. ^Salia, pp. 130-133
  58. ^StatisticsPublic Service Hall

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Rapp, Stephen H.(2003)Studies In Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts.Peeters BvbaISBN90-429-1318-5.
  • Rapp, Stephen H. (2014)The Sasanian World through Georgian Eyes: Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian LiteratureAshgate Publishing
  • Georgian royal annals,Life of Pharnavaz: The first Georgian king of Kartli,Part IV.TITUS(Online Version).
  • Rayfield, Donald(2000)The Literature of Georgia: A History.Routledge,ISBN0-7007-1163-5.
  • Rayfield, Donald (2013), Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia, Reaktion Books
  • Suny, Ronald Grigor(1994)The Making of the Georgian Nation(2nd edition).Indiana University Press,ISBN0-253-20915-3.
  • Toumanoff, Cyril(1963)Studies in Christian Caucasian History.Georgetown University Press.
  • Salia, Kalistrat(1980)Histoire de la nation géorgienne
  • Gamkrelidze, Gela (2012)Researches in Iberia-Colchology,David Braund ed.

Further reading

[edit]
Pharnavaz I
Born:326 BCDied:234 BC
Preceded by
Azon
(office created)
 King of Kartli
299 BC - 234 BC 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pharnavaz_I&oldid=1236019827"