Artaxias I of Iberia

Artaxias I of Iberia
King of Iberia
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ReignBC 90-78
PredecessorParnajom
SuccessorArtoces of Iberia
DynastyArtaxiad dynasty of Iberia

Artaxias I, of the Artaxiad dynasty, was a king (mepe) of Iberia (modern-day Georgia) from 90 to 78 BC. He is known exclusively from the medieval Georgian chronicles which gives his name as Arshak (Georgian: არშაკი).[1]

A son of the king of Armenia, purportedly of Artavasdes I (r. c. 161–post 123 BC), he is reported to have been installed following the nobles’ revolt against the Iberian king P’arnajom of the Pharnabazid dynasty. The rebels justified their choice by emphasizing that he was married to a Pharnabazid princess, probably a sister of P’arnajom. The account of his reign is remarkably short, stating only that his reign was without any major trouble and that he further fortified the city of Tsunda in Javakheti.[2]

  1. ^ Toumanoff, Cyril. Chronology of the Early Kings of Iberia. Traditio 25 (1969), pp. 10-11.
  2. ^ Rapp, Stephen H. (2003), Studies In Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts, p. 282. Peeters Bvba ISBN 90-429-1318-5.