Mirian I | |
---|---|
King of Iberia | |
Reign | 162 BC – 112 BC or 159 BC – 109 BC |
Predecessor | Sauromaces I |
Successor | Pharnajom |
Died | 112 BC or 109 BC |
Issue | Pharnajom |
Dynasty | Pharnavazids |
Religion | Georgian paganism |
Mirian I (Georgian: მირიან I) was a king (mepe) of Iberia who reigned in the 2nd century BC. An adopted son of his father-in-law King Sauromaces I, he was a Persian-born prince but governed over Iberia as a member of the Pharnavazid dynasty.
His reign coincided with the emergence of large geopolitical changes associated with the slow collapse of the Seleucid Empire and the rise of Parthia, as well as the increasing power of the neighboring Kingdom of Armenia. While he faced a violent North Caucasian invasion, he repelled it successfully and fortified the Dariali Pass, which would remain Georgia's first line of northern defense until the 19th century.