David of Tao as depicted on a bas-relief from the Oshki Monastery. It was David’s use of Byzantine imagery that influenced the appearance of royal power of Georgia in the following two centuries.^[1]

David III Kuropalates (Georgian: დავით III კუროპალატი, Davit’ III Kuropalati) or David III the Great (დავით III დიდი, Davit’ III Didi) also known as David II (c. 930s – 1000) was a Georgian prince of the Bagratid family of Tao/Tayk, a historic region in the Georgian–Armenian marchlands, from 966 until being murdered in 1000. Kuropalates was a Byzantine courtier title bestowed upon him in 990. Centuries: 9th century - 10th century - 11th century Decades: 880s - 890s _ 900s - 910s - 920s - 930s - 940s - 950s - 960s - 970s - 980s Years: 930 931 932 933 934 935 936 937 938 939 Events: Categories: 930s ... // Events World Population 300 million. ... The Bagratuni or Bagrationi or Bagratid royal dynasty (Armenian: Բագրատունյաց Ô±Ö€Ö„Õ¡ÕµÕ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶ Տոհմ or Bagratunyac Arqayakan Tohm, Georgian: ბაგრატიონთა სამეფო დინასტია or Bagrationta Samepo Dinastia) is a royal family whose ascendancy in Transcaucasia lasted for more than a millenium, since the 8th century until the early 19th century. ... Tao-Klarjeti is the term conventionally used in modern history writing to describe the historic south-western Georgian principalities, now forming part of north-eastern Turkey and divided among the provinces of Erzurum, Artvin, Ardahan and Kars. ... Tayk In Armenian history writing, the term Tayk is often used as a pars pro toto for the historic northwest Armenian lands which are now located in north-eastern Turkey. ... Events April 14 or April 30 - Mieszko I, first duke of Poland, baptised a Christian Births Fujiwara no Michinaga, Japanese regent Deaths King Dubh I of Scotland Categories: 966 ... Byzantine Empire (Greek: Βυζαντινή Αυτοκρατορία) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... The Byzantine Empire had a complex system of aristocracy and bureaucracy. ... Events Construction of the Al-Hakim Mosque begins in Cairo. ...

David is best known for his crucial assistance to the Byzantine Macedonian dynasty in the 976-9 civil war and his unique role in the political unification of various Georgian polities as well as his patronage of Christian culture and learning. Between 987 and 989, David joined his friend Bardas Phocas in a revolt against the Byzantine emperor Basil II, but was defeated and agreed to cede his lands to the empire on his death. Yet he was able to secure for his heir, Bagrat III, an opportunity to become the first ruler of a unified Georgian kingdom. Basil I the Macedonian (Βασίλειος Α) (811 - 886, ruled 867 - 886) - married Michael IIIs widow; died in hunting accident Leo VI the Wise (Λέων ΣΤ ο Σοφός) (866 - 912, ruled 886 - 912) – likely either son of Basil I or Michael III; Alexander III (Αλέξανδρος Γ του Βυζαντίου) (870 - 913, ruled 912 - 913) – son of Basil I, regent for nephew... Events January 10 - Basil II becomes Eastern Roman Emperor, see Byzantine Emperors. ... Events: The Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, is founded. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... Events Hugh Capet, Count of Paris, crowned King of France Kukulcan conquers Chichen Itza Births Deaths May 21 King Louis V of France Categories: 987 ... For the video game developers, see 989 Studios. ... Bardas Phocas - Vardas Phokas was an eminent Byzantine general of Armenian origine who took a conspicuous part in three revolts pro and contra the ruling Macedonian dynasty. ... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ... Painting of Basil II, from an 11th century manuscript. ... Bagrat III (ca. ...

History

David was a representative of the so-called Second House of Tao, a branch of the Kartli line of the Georgian Bagratids (Bagrationi) which held sway over Tao (a province on the historic Georgian-Armenian border known to the Armenians as Tayk; now part of Turkey) since the extinction of the original Tao line in the 940s. Kartli is the largest and most populated province of Eastern Georgia. ... Centuries: 9th century - 10th century - 11th century Decades: 890s - 900s - 910s - 920s - 930s - 940s - 950s - 960s - 970s - 980s - 990s Years: 940 941 942 943 944 945 946 947 948 949 Events: Births: Deaths: Categories: 940s ...

Alliance with the Byzantine Empire

He succeeded his father Bagrat as a "duke of dukes" (erist'avt'-erist'avi, ერისთავთ-ერისთავი) of Tao in 966, and through his expansionist policy and flexible diplomacy began assembling a larger state. In order to enact his ambitious plans, David had to secure his independence from the Byzantine Empire which would reach its greatest height under the emperor Basil II (975-1025). Events Coronation of King Edward the Martyr Births Deaths July 8 Edgar of England Categories: 975 ... Events April 18 - Boleslaw I Chrobry is crowned as the first king of Poland. ...

The Byzantines' eastern neighbors – the fragmentized Armenian and Georgian monarchies – rarely threatened the empire directly, but were of particular interest to Constantinople as they controlled strategic international trade routes that run through their domains.^[2] The Byzantines had already annexed the Armenian princedoms of Taron (966) and Manzikert (968) and posed a potential danger to the constellation of the several Georgian Bagratid principalities known as Tao-Klarjeti.^[3] However, the integrity of the empire itself was under serious threat after a full-scale rebellion led by Bardas Sklerus broke out in the Asian provinces in 976. Following a series of successful battles the rebels jeopardized Constantinople. In the urgency of a situation, the young emperor Basil requested aid from David of Tao, who promptly responded and sent 12,000 crack cavalry troops under the command of Tornikios to reinforce the recently defeated loyal Byzantine general Bardas Phokas, guarantying thereby his victory at the battle near Caesarea on 24 March 979.^[4] Taron was a region of old region of Armenia divised in four districts: Mamikonian, Palauni, (Belabitene), Artokh (Ardjish or Artzike, North of Van Lake) and Olnut or Enut Categories: Regions of old Armenia ... Manzikert (in Turkish Malazgirt) is a town in MuÅŸ in eastern Turkey, with a population of 23 697 (year 2000) (??of 68 990). ... Events Births Emperor Kazan of Japan Ethelred II of England Romanus Argyrus, later Romanus III of the Eastern Roman Empire. ... Tao-Klarjeti is the term conventionally used in modern history writing to describe the historic south-western Georgian principalities, now forming part of north-eastern Turkey and divided among the provinces of Erzurum, Artvin, Ardahan and Kars. ... Bardas Skleros or Sklerus - (Vardas Skleros) was a Byzantine general of Armenian origin who led a wide-scale Asian rebellion against Emperor of Armenian origin Basil II in 976-979. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Events January 10 - Basil II becomes Eastern Roman Emperor, see Byzantine Emperors. ... Map of Constantinople. ... Caesarea Mazaca (modern Kayseri) is an ancient town of Anatolia which served as the residence of the kings of Cappadocia. ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (84th in Leap years). ... Events: The Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, is founded. ...

The Bagratid domains in Tao-Klarjeti, c. 780-1000

David’s reward was the lifetime rulership of key imperial territories in eastern Anatolia known to the contemporary Georgian sources as the "Upper Lands of Greece" (ზემონი ქუეყანანი საბერძნეთისანი), consisting chiefly of northwestern Armenian lands: the city of Theodosiopolis or Karin (Geo. Karnu-kalaki, present-day Erzurum, Turkey), Phasiane (Geo. Basiani, Arm. Basean), Hark, Apahunik, Mardali (Mardaghi), Khaldoyarich, and Chormayri. Basil II also rewarded David’s commander Tornikios’ valor by funding a Georgian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos. Although populated now chiefly with Greek monks, it is to this day known as Iveron, "of the Iberians" (i.e., Georgians). Asia Minor lies east of the Bosporus, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. ... Erzurum (or Erzerum, Arzen in antiquity, Karin in ancient Armenian, Theodosiupolis or Theodosiopolis during Byzantine rule) is one of the Provinces of Turkey, in the Eastern Anatolia Region, to the east of the country. ... The Georgian Orthodox Church (full title Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church, or in the Georgian language საქართველოს მართლმადიდებელი სამოციქულო ეკლესია Saqartvelos Samotsiqulo Avtokepaluri Martlmadidebeli Eklesia) is one of the worlds most ancient Christian Churches, and tradition traces its origins to the mission of Apostle Andrew in the 1st century. ... Location of Mount Athos (the darkened easternmost leg) in the map of Greece Mount Athos (Greek: Όρος Άθως) is a mountain and a peninsula in Macedonia, northern Greece, called Άγιο Όρος (Ayio Oros or Ayion Oros or Holy Mountain) in Modern Greek, or Άγιον Όρος (Hagion Oros) in Classical Greek. ... Ancient countries of Caucasus: Armenia, Iberia, Colchis and Albania Iberia was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli (4th century BC-5th century AD) corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia. ...

These formidable acquisitions made David the most influential ruler in the Caucasus, enabling him to interfere in and arbitrate dynastic disputes in both Georgia and Armenia.^[3] The medieval Georgian authors call him "greatest of all the kings of Tao"^[5] and the 11th-century Armenian chronicler Aristakes Lastivertsi describes him as "a mighty man, a builder of the world, very honorable, a lover of the poor, indeed, the definition of peace. For in his day it was as the prophecy states: everyone reposed under his vine and his fig tree."^[6] Being in control of highly important commercial centers, his principality profited from taxing the major trading routes running through southwestern Caucasus and eastern Anatolia. David invested these revenues in extensive building projects: constructing towns, forts and churches, and promoting Georgian monastic communities and cultural activities both in Georgia and abroad. The Entholinguistic patchwork of the modern Caucasus - CIA map The Caucasus, a region bordering Asia Minor, is located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus Mountains and surrounding lowlands. ...

Issue of succession

Himself with no children of his own, David adopted his kinsman, the young prince Bagrat, heir to the Bagratid throne of Kartli (Iberia). He did so at the request of the energetic Georgian nobleman Iovane Marushis-dze. Through his fortunate bloodlines Bagrat was destined to sit upon two thrones. Furthermore, through his mother Gurandukht, sister of the childless Abkhazian king Theodosius III, Bagrat was a potential heir to the realm of Abkhazia. Setting a plan for creation of all-Georgian state, David occupied Kartli for his foster-son in 976 and repulsed the troops from the easternmost Georgian kingdom of Kakheti, which had recently occupied the western sector of Kartli with its rock-hewn city of Uplistsikhe. Two years later, in 978, David and Marushis-dze secured the crown of Abkhazia for Bagrat by displacing Theodosius III. Bagrat III (ca. ... Theodosius III the Blind (also known as Theodosius the Sorrowed), was King of the Abkhazians from circa 975 to 978. ... Categories: Caucasus geography stubs | Georgia (country) ...

A personal cross of David of Tao

David’s good fortunes changed in 987 when he, anxious to make his extensive possessions a hereditary Bagratid domain, joined his long-time friend Bardas Phokas in a rebellion against the emperor Basil. Once the rebels were defeated by the Byzantine-Rus' forces in 989, David had to submit. Reconciled with the emperor, he was bestowed, in 990, with a high courtier title of kuropalates in return for his promise that upon his death the lands previously placed under his sovereignty would revert to the Byzantine Empire. Rus’ (Русь, ) was a medieval East Slavic nation, which, according to the most popular but by no means the only theory, took its name from its ruling warrior class with Scandinavian roots. ...

Another trouble arose around the same year, when Bagrat of Abkhazia planned a punitive expedition against the non-submissive duke Rati of Kldekari in Lower Kartli. Persuaded that his foster-son intended to attack Tao and kill him, David crushed the army led by Bagrat’s natural father Gurgen on its march to Kldekari. As a medieval Georgian chronicler relates: Kvemo Kartli (i. ... Gurgen also known as Gurgen Magistros (Georgian: გურგენი, which is also transliterated as Gourgen) of the House of Bagrationi, was King of Kings of the Georgians from 994 until his death in 1008. ...

"Bagrat then went [to David] alone, fell at his feet and swore that he was going against Rati. [David] believed that too and released him in peace".^[7]

Last years

After the reconciliation with the emperor and his kinsmen, David led a series of successful raids against the Muslim emirates of Lake Van and Azerbaijan. Bagrat II of Georgia (grandfather of Bagrat, David’s adoptee), and Gagik I of Armenia allied themselves with David who recaptured Manzikert from the Marwanid emir of Diyarbakr about 993 and raided Akhlat, another important stronghold of this Kurdish dynasty, in 997. Mamlan, the Rawwadid emir of Azerbaijan, was also twice defeated, the second time decisively, in 998, near Archesh.^[8] Generally speaking, an emirate (Arabic imarah, plural imarat) is a territory that is administered by an emir, although in Arabic the term can be generalized to mean any province of a country that is administered by a member of the ruling class. ... Lake Van from space, September 1996 Lake Van Landsat photo Lake Van (Turkish: Van Gölü, in Armenian: ÕŽÕ¡Õ¶Õ¡ Õ¬Õ«Õ³) is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country. ... Marwanid, (990-1085), was a Kurdish dynasty in northren mesopotamia centered around the city of Diyarbakir. ... Diyarbakir (Syriac: ܐܡܝܕ; Zazaki and Kurdish: Amed; Turkish spelling: Diyarbakır) is a city in Turkey, situated on the banks of the River Tigris. ... Events July 4 - Saint Ulrich of Augsburg canonized Births Deaths Categories: 993 ... Kurds are one of the Iranian peoples and speak Kurdish, a north-Western Iranian language related to Persian. ... Events City of Gdansk is founded Saint Adalbert of Prague is sent to Prussia by Boleslaus I of Poland Samuil of Bulgaria crowned Tsar by Pope Gregory V The town of Trondheim is founded. ... Events Benedictine abbey founded at Sherborne Births Deaths Abul-Wafa, iranian mathematician Categories: 998 ...

David was murdered by his nobles early in 1000. According to Aristakes, "they had mixed poison into the communion on Good Thursday, and had given it to him [Dawit'] to drink, causing that venerable man to choke to death. [This was] because they had wearied of him, and were interested in promises [made to them] earlier by the emperor".^[6]

Wars of the Kuropalates’ succession

Main article: Byzantine-Georgian wars

A map of the Caucasus, c. 830-1020

Basil II was at that time in the eastern provinces of his empire, wintering on the plain of Tarsus following his campaign against the Fatimid dynasty in Syria. On hearing of David’s death he marched north-eastward to claim the lands David had promised to the emperor. The local Georgian and Armenian nobility submitted without any serious resistance. The only notable incident occurred when a quarrel between a Georgian soldier and a Varangian Guardsman over a bale of hay developed into a major fight, involving 6,000 Varangians and taking the lives of thirty Georgian high-ranking nobles. In tetrapods, the tarsi are the cluster of bones in the foot between the tibia and fibula and the metatarsus. ... The Fatimids or Fatimid Caliphate (Arabic الفاطميون) is the Ismaili Shiite dynasty that ruled much of North Africa from A.D. 5 January 910 to 1171. ... The Varangians or Variags were Vikings who travelled eastwards from Sweden and Norway. ...

King Bagrat, David’s foster-son, met with Basil but, unable to prevent the annexation of David’s realm, had to recognize the new borders in reward of the imperial title of kuropalates. Despite this setback, Bagrat was able to become the fist king of all-Georgian unified monarchy^[9], a result made possible largely by the efforts of David of Tao, that, as the modern scholar Stephen Rapp puts in, "appropriately ranks high on any "Top Ten" list of Georgian history."^[10]

There is some disagreement among modern scholars on whether David ceded to the Byzantines only those lands which had been granted to him as a reward for his assistance against the rebel Bardas Sklerus, or it was the whole his principality acquired by Basil II. As the former was endowed upon David for lifetime stewardship, it would be more reasonable to assume that he conceded his entire realm, i.e., Thither Tao/Tayk and the adjacent Armenian counties up to Lake Van. Whatever the extent of David’s domain, the Georgian kings would not so easily reconcile with the loss of those territories, leading to a series of conflicts with the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century.

Notes and references