NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Pharnavaz I of Iberia

Pharnavaz I (also written Parnavaz, P’arnawaz, or Farnavaz) (Georgian: ფარნავაზი) (ca 335-237 BC) was the first king of the ancient Georgian kingdom of Iberia (Kartli) in ca 302-237 BC. Founder of the royal dynasty of Pharnavazians, he is also said to have established a new official religion, a variation of Zoroastrianism, and to have reformed a Georgian alphabet and written language. Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC - 330s BC - 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC Years: 340 BC 339 BC 338 BC 337 BC 336 BC - 335 BC - 334 BC 333 BC... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC - 230s BC - 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC Years: 242 BC 241 BC 240 BC 239 BC 238 BC - 237 BC - 236 BC 235 BC... This is a list of the kings and queens of Georgia, an ancient kingdom in the Caucasus Mountains which lasted until 1801. ... 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. ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - Decades: 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 307 BC 306 BC 305 BC 304 BC 303 BC 302 BC 301 BC 300 BC 299 BC 298 BC Cassander becomes King of... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC - 230s BC - 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC Years: 242 BC 241 BC 240 BC 239 BC 238 BC - 237 BC - 236 BC 235 BC... The Parnavazian Dynasty (335BC-65BC), was founded by King Parnavaz I of Iberia in East Georgia in the province of Kartli. ... Zoroastrianism (Persian: Ø¢ÙŠÙŠÙ† Ø²Ø±ØªØ´Øª , Aeen-e Zartosht) was once the state religion of Sassanid Persia, and played an important role during the preceding Achaemenid and Parthian eras. ... The Georgian alphabet is the script currently used to write the Georgian language and occasionally other languages of the Caucasus. ...

Descriptions of the epoch of Pharnavaz provided by the early-medieval Georgian sources, is a mixture of fact and legend. There is also an inconsistency in the dates of his life and reign, which seems implausibly long for this period.

The legend has it that he was a nephew of Samara, a chief (mamasakhlisi) of the Mtskheta tribe and descendant of Kartlos, an eponymous father of Kartli/Iberia. Azo, an officer of Alexander the Great, killed Samara and massacred his family and many of his people, and seized the power in the area. Little Pharnavaz survived however. He later served to Azo, setting a plan of his people's liberation. Fortune was good to him, and he found a huge amount of a treasury while hunting in a forest. He used this to create an army and rose against the tyrant. Azo died on the battlefield and Pharnavaz was crowned the king of Iberia. Mtskheta is one of oldest cities of the republic of Georgia (in Kartli province of Eastern Georgia), near Tbilisi. ... Kartlos (Georgian: áƒ¥áƒáƒ áƒ—áƒšáƒáƒ¡) was the legendary establisher and eponymous father of Georgia, namely its nucleus Kartli (cf. ... Azo (also known as Azon) was a legendary prince allegedly installed by Alexander the Great as a ruler of the Mtskheta tribe in what is now Georgia. ... Alexander the Great (in Greek , transliterated Megas Alexandros) (Alexander III of Macedon) was born in Pella, Macedon, in July, 356 BC, died in Babylon, on June 10, 323 BC, King of Macedon 336â€“323 BC, is considered one of the most successful military commanders in world history (if not the...

Although Alexander’s invasion of Georgia is completely rejected by modern historians, they believe one of the diadochoi from Asia Minor could have sent in an army to conquer the area. The story might also reflect a struggle for power for the title of tribal leader. The local patrician Pharnavaz could have won this struggle to become a king, the fact that seems to have been recognized by the Seleucids. He also established friendly relations with the neighbouring North Caucasian mountainous people Dzurdzuks, thought to be the ancestors of Vainakh peoples, and married their princess. The word Diadochi means successors in Greek. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion of Turkey. ... The Seleucid Empire was one of several political states founded after the death of Alexander the Great, whose generals squabbled over the division of Alexanders empire. ...

Upon his ascent to the throne, Pharnavaz divided his kingdom into several counties (saeristavo), including Egrisi, Argveti, Odzrkhe, Klarjeti, Tsunda, Samshvilde, Khunani, Kakheti, and a special military district (saspaspeto) of Kartli. Of them, Egrisi (part of Colchis) was given to a local prince, Kuji, his borther-in-law and ally. Now Pharnavaz focused on social projects, including the creation of a new official cult of Armaz to whom a colossus was erected at the citadel of Armaztsikhe, and the restoration of towns and villages. Egrisi (or Kolkheti) known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as Lazica was a kingdom in the western part of Georgia, which flourished between the 6th century BC and the 7th century AD. It covered the territory of the former kingdom Kolkha (Colchis) and the territory of modern Abkhazia. ... In Georgian history, Tao-Klarjeti is the term conventionally used to describe the area in what is now the northeastern Turkey (particularly its Artvin province), which includes the historic Georgian provinces of Tao, Klarjeti, Shavsheti (Å avÅ¡at), Kola (Kogh), Artaani (Artahan), Erusheti and also several lesser Georgian-Armenian marchlands. ... Categories: Caucasus geography stubs | Georgia (country) ... Kartli is the largest and most populated province of Eastern Georgia. ... In ancient geography, Colchis (sometimes spelled also as Kolchis) (Greek: ÎšÎ¿Î»Ï‡Î¯Ï‚, kÅlÂ´kÄ¬s; Georgian: áƒ™áƒáƒšáƒ®áƒ”áƒ—áƒ˜, Kolkheti) was a nearly triangular district in Caucasus. ...

Tradition ascribes to him a substantial reform of the Georgian alphabet and written language. Although the most ancient Georgian inscriptions known date back to the 5th century A.D., recently found inscriptions at Nekresi site are now claimed to be even older dating from the 1st to the 3rd A.D.

According to the Georgian chronicles, he died at the age of 92, in ca 237 BC, to be succeeded by his son Saurmag I. Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC - 230s BC - 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC Years: 242 BC 241 BC 240 BC 239 BC 238 BC - 237 BC - 236 BC 235 BC... Saurmag I (sometimes also spelled as Sauromaces, or Sayurmak) (áƒ¡áƒáƒ£áƒ áƒ›áƒáƒ’ I) (d. ...

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