Kingdom of Iberia (Kartli) (4th century BCE–5th century CE)

  1. Pharnavaz I establishes kingship in Kartli

    Labels: Pharnavaz I, Mtskheta, Armazi

    Traditional Georgian royal lists date the start of the Kingdom of Iberia (Kartli) to the reign of Pharnavaz I, credited with founding the monarchy and early state structures centered on Mtskheta/Armazi.

  2. Sauromaces I succeeds Pharnavaz I

    Labels: Sauromaces I, Pharnavaz dynasty, Kartli

    Pharnavaz’s successor Sauromaces (Saurmag) I is placed in the mid-3rd to mid-2nd century BCE in reconstructed chronologies, reflecting continuity of the early Iberian monarchy and its noble politics.

  3. Artaxiad dynasty begins with Artaxias’ accession

    Labels: Artaxias, Artaxiad dynasty, Iberia

    After internal upheaval and dynastic change, an Armenian prince Artaxias is recorded as taking the Iberian throne (traditional date 93 BCE), marking the start of an Artaxiad phase in Iberia’s kingship.

  4. Pompey defeats Iberia at the Pelorus River

    Labels: Pompey, Artoces, Pelorus River

    In 65 BCE, during Pompey’s Caucasian operations linked to the Third Mithridatic War, Roman forces defeated King Artoces of Iberia near the Pelorus River, forcing Iberia into a diplomatic accommodation with Rome.

  5. Roman fortification works commemorated at Armazi

    Labels: Stele of, Armazi, Vespasian

    A Greek inscription known as the Stele of Vespasian (dated 75 CE) commemorates reinforcement of the Armazi fortifications and references Roman emperors and Iberian royalty, evidencing close Rome–Iberia interaction at Mtskheta/Armazi.

  6. Armazi bilingual stele documents court culture

    Labels: Stele of, Armazi, Armazic

    The Stele of Serapeitis (dated 150 CE), inscribed in Greek and Armazic (Aramaic), provides a rare contemporary window into Iberian aristocracy, titulature, and multilingual administration centered around Armazi.

  7. Mirian III’s reign anchors the Chosroid dynasty

    Labels: Mirian III, Chosroid dynasty, Iberia

    Mirian III (commonly dated 284–361 CE) is identified as the founding ruler of the Chosroid line in Iberia, a dynasty that would dominate late-antique Kartli amid Roman–Iranian rivalry.

  8. Christianity adopted as Iberia’s state religion

    Labels: Saint Nino, Mirian III, Christianity

    During Mirian III’s reign, Iberia’s royal conversion (traditionally linked with Saint Nino) led to Christianity’s establishment as state religion; modern scholarship proposes dates including 319 or 326 CE (older tradition often cited 337).

  9. Peace of Acilisene affirms Sasanian position in Iberia

    Labels: Peace of, Sasanian Empire, Rome

    The Roman–Sasanian settlement resolved in 384 and reaffirmed in 387 (often called the Partition of Armenia) formalized spheres of influence and is associated with Rome acknowledging loss of Iberia to stronger Sasanian leverage.

  10. Vakhtang I begins reign amid Persian suzerainty

    Labels: Vakhtang I, Sasanian suzerainty, Kartli

    Vakhtang I Gorgasali (commonly placed in the late 5th century) ruled Iberia as a Sasanian vassal while pursuing policies that sought greater autonomy and reshaped Iberian political and ecclesiastical life in tradition.

  11. Vakhtang I launches major uprising against the Sasanians

    Labels: Vakhtang I, anti Sasanian, Caucasus

    In 482 CE, Vakhtang I led a broad anti-Sasanian revolt (linked to wider Caucasian unrest), initiating a prolonged struggle that ultimately failed but became a defining episode in Iberia’s late-antique resistance narratives.

  12. Death of Vakhtang I amid renewed Persian pressure

    Labels: Vakhtang I, Sasanian pressure, death 502

    Vakhtang I is commonly dated to have died around 502 CE (alternative proposals exist), after which Sasanian control deepened and Iberian royal authority increasingly narrowed in practice.

  13. Bakur III dies and monarchy is abolished

    Labels: Bakur III, Hormizd IV, marzpanate

    Upon the death of Bakur (Bacurius) III in 580 CE, Sasanian shah Hormizd IV abolished the Iberian kingship, and Kartli/Iberia was more directly governed as a Persian province under a marzpan (governor).

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Last Updated:Jan 1, 1980

Kingdom of Iberia (Kartli) (4th century BCE–5th century CE)