Leon II of Abkhazia

Leon II (Georgian: ლეონ II), of the Anchabadze dynasty, was the hereditary prince (Eristavi) from 767 to 778 and king (mepe) of the Kingdom of Abkhazia from 778 to 828. He was the nephew and successor of Leon I and from maternal side grandson of the reigning Khagan of the Khazars (possibly Bihar or Baghatur).

Leon II ლეონ II
King of Abkhazia
Reign	778–828
Successor	Theodosius II
Archon of Abasgia
Reign	767–778
Predecessor	Leon I
House	Anchabadze

Life

Leon II exploited an existing dynastic union to acquire Lazica in the 770s, as John was dead and Juansher grew old. Towards circa 778, Leon II won his full independence with the help of the Khazars to assumed the title of "King of the Abkhazians" and transferred his capital from Anacopia to the western Georgian city of Kutaisi. According to Georgian annals, Leon subdivided his kingdom into eight duchies: Abkhazia proper, Tskhumi, Bedia, Guria, Racha and Takveri, Svaneti, Argveti, and Kutatisi.^[1] Leon II during his life strengthened the contacts with the political circles of Tao-Klarjeti by means of the dynasty marriages.

During his reign Abkhazian kingdom was the stage of the state building and was less active in the matter of spreading the borders of the kingdom to the East. After obtaining of the state independence, the matter of the church independence became the main problem. Leon II was not able to conduct the independent church policy till it was dependent on Constantinople. Besides, the empire tried, with the help of the church to influence the inner and foreign policy of the kingdom. Church split of Abkhazia from Constantinople in Vakhushti Bagrationi's opinion had place during Leon II reign.

Family

Leon married an unknown princess:

Issue

• Theodosius II, king of the Abkhazia from 828 until 855.
• Demetrius II, king of the Abkhazia from 855 until 864.
• George I, king of the Abkhazia from 864 until 871.

Genealogy

v t e Genealogy of the Kings of Abkhazia

Theodor Archon of Abasgia r. 710's–730 Constantine II Archon of Abasgia r. 730–745 Leon I Archon of Abasgia r. 745–767 Leon II Archon of Abasgia r. 767–780 King of Abkhazia r. 780–828 Theodosius II King of Abkhazia r. 811–837 Demetrius II King of Abkhazia r. 837–872 George I King of Abkhazia r. 872–878 Tinen of Chikha Bagrat I King of Abkhazia r. 887–898 Constantine III King of Abkhazia r. 898–916 Anonymous daughter married to Ashot of Klarjeti George II King of Abkhazia r. 916–960 fr:Bagrat Anchabadzé King of Abkhazia r. 923–930 Constantine Duke of Kartli r. 923–926 Leon III Duke of Kartli r. 926–957 King of Abkhazia r. 960–969 Demetrius III King of Abkhazia r. 969–976 Theodosius III King of Abkhazia r. 976–978 Bagrat Anonymous daughter married to Shourta of Kakheti Gurandukht married to Gurgen of Iberia Anonymous daughter married to Abas I of Armenia Bagrat II King of Abkhazia r. 978–1014

See also

• Divan of the Abkhazian Kings

References

1. Vakhushti Bagrationi, The History of Egrisi, Abkhazeti or Imereti, part 1.

Sources

• Kevin Alan Brook. The Jews of Khazaria. 3rd ed. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2018.
• Peter B. Golden. Khazar Studies: An Historio-Philological Inquiry into the Origins of the Khazars. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1980.

Preceded by Leon I

King of Abkhazia 767/68–811/12

Succeeded by Theodosius II