Archil of Iberia
King of Iberia, an ancient Georgian state / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arch'il (Georgian: არჩილი), of the Chosroid Dynasty, was the king (mepe) of Iberia (Kartli, eastern Georgia) from c. 411 to 435. He was the son and successor of King Mirdat IV.
Archil | |
---|---|
King of Iberia | |
Reign | 411–435 |
Predecessor | Mihrdat IV |
Successor | Mihrdat V |
Dynasty | Chosroid dynasty |
The two principal medieval Georgian chronicles – The Conversion of Kartli, and The Life of Kartli, – relate conflicting versions of Archil’s reign. The former story is extremely brief but regretfully indicates that the positions of Zoroastrianism, an official Sasanid religion, was firm in Christian Iberia, a testimony to the effectively unchallenged Sasanid hegemony over the country. The other chronicle informs us of Archil’s successful rebellion against Iran, his victory over a punitive force and a retaliatory raid into Arran. The authenticity of this latter account has been questioned by modern scholars.
Arch'il is also attested in two Armenian sources: Koryun’s The Life of Mashtots, cap. 18; and Moses of Chorene, III.60.[1]