Amazasp I

Amazasp I
King of Iberia
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Reign106–116
PredecessorMihrdat I
SuccessorPharasmanes II
DynastyPharnavazid dynasty

Amazasp I (Georgian: ამაზასპ I) was a king (mepe) of Iberia (Kartli, modern eastern Georgia) whose reign is placed by the early medieval Georgian historical compendia in the 2nd century. Professor Cyril Toumanoff suggests 106–116 as the years of his reign, and considers him to be the son and successor of Mithridates I of Iberia who is known from epigraphic material as a Roman ally. Toumanoff also identifies him with the Amazaspus of the Stele of Vespasian and Xepharnuges of the Stele of Serapit.

The name Amazasp derives from Middle Persian *Hamazāsp, ultimately from Old Persian Hamāzāspa. Although the precise etymology of *Hamazāsp/Hamāzāspa remains unresolved, it may be explained through Avestan *hamāza-, "colliding/clashing" + aspa-, "horse" i.e. "one who possessed war steeds".[1][2]

The Georgian chronicles report Amazasp's joint ten-year rule with Derok (Deruk) and record Armazi as his seat (whereas Derok's residence was at Mtskheta). Many modern scholars, however, consider the Iberian dyarchy a pure legend and argue that Amazasp was king in his own right.[3]

  1. ^ Rapp, Stephen H. (2009). "The Iranian Heritage of Georgia: Breathing New Life into the Pre-Bagratid Historiographical Tradition". Iranica Antiqua. 44: 660. doi:10.2143/IA.44.0.2034389.
  2. ^ Rapp, Stephen H. Jr (2014). The Sasanian World through Georgian Eyes: Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian Literature. Routledge. pp. 164, 224. ISBN 978-1-4724-2552-2.
  3. ^ Rapp, Stephen H. (2003), Studies In Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts, p. 289. Peeters Publishers, ISBN 90-429-1318-5.