Pharnavaz I

Pharnavaz I
King of Iberia and Colchis[1]
Relief of King Pharnavaz[where?]
King of Iberia (more...)
Reign	302–237 BC[b] 299–234 BC[c] 284–219 BC[d]
Predecessor	Azo of Iberia (office created)
Successor	Sauromaces I
Born	329, 326[2] or 311 BC Mtskheta, Kartli
Died	237, 234 or 219 BC (aged 92) Mtskheta, Kingdom of Iberia
Burial	Armazi, Kingdom of Iberia (undisclosed)
Spouse	Durdzuk woman
Issue	Sauromaces I
Dynasty	Pharnavazid
Father	Georgian prince[3]
Mother	Persian woman[4]
Religion	Georgian paganism (God Armazi) (Self-deification)

Pharnavaz I^[a] (/fɑːrnɑːvɑːz/; Georgian: ფარნავაზ I, romanized: parnavaz I Georgian pronunciation: [pʰaɾnavaz]) was a king (mepe) of Kartli, an ancient Georgian kingdom known as Iberia in classical antiquity. The Georgian Chronicles credits him with being the first monarch founding the kingship of Kartli and the Pharnavazid dynasty, while other independent chronicles, such as The Conversion of Kartli make 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 to Prince Vakhushti of Kartli, 299–234 BC according to Cyril Toumanoff and 284–219 BC according to Pavle Ingoroqva.^[5] Pharnavaz's rise, advent and imperial expansion of the Iberian monarchy was directly tied to the victory of Alexander the Great over the Achaemenid Empire.^[6][7] Pharnavaz ruled under the suzerainty of the Seleucid Empire.^[8]