Mirian I of Iberia

Mirian I (Georgian: მირიანი; more precisely Mirvan, მირვანი) was king of Iberia from 159 BC to 109 BC.[1] His name (Mihrbān), of Middle Iranian origin, means "friendly, kind", and is derived from Old Iranian Mithrāpāna, meaning "having the protection of Mithra".[1]

Mirian I
King of Iberia
Reign	159 BC – 109 BC
Predecessor	Saurmag
Successor	Pharnajom
Died	109 BC
Issue	Pharnajom
Dynasty	Nimrodid

When Saurmag, the second king of Iberia, died without a male heir, the dynasty survived in the female line through the marriage of Saurmag's daughter to Mirian, who is referred to as Nebrot'iani (ნებროთიანი), which means the "race of Nimrod" a generic term applied to the ancient Iranian nobility.[2] The dynasty that Mirian ruled is thus referred as the Nimrodid or second Pharnavazid dynasty.[3] Mirian had his daughter married to the Artaxiad prince Artaxias, whose father Artavasdes I (r. 160–115 BC) was the incumbent king of Armenia.[3] In c. 120 BC, Mirian most likely became a vassal of the Parthian Empire.[4] Massive circulation of Parthian coins into Iberia, along with Armenia and Caucasian Albania, indicates that these kingdoms had been swayed by the influence of the Parthians.[5]

Mirian is further reported to have defeated a mountaineers' invasion of the province of Kakheti, and is credited with the fortification of the Daryal Pass as well as to contributing to the cult of Ainina and Danina.[6] He was succeeded by his son Pharnajom.

References

1. Rapp 2014, p. 222.
2. Toumanoff 1969, p. 10; Rapp 2009, p. 674
3. Toumanoff 1969, p. 10.
4. Olbrycht 2009, pp. 170–171.
5. Olbrycht 2009, p. 171.
6. Rapp 2003, p. 281.

Sources

• Olbrycht, Marek Jan (2009). "Mithridates VI Eupator and Iran". In Højte, Jakob Munk (ed.). Mithridates VI and the Pontic Kingdom. Black Sea Studies. 9. Aarhus University Press. pp. 163–190. ISBN 978-8779344433. ISSN 1903-4873.
• Rapp, Stephen H. (2003). Studies in Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts and Eurasian Contexts. Peeters. ISBN 978-2-87723-723-9.
• Rapp, Stephen H. (2009). "The Iranian Heritage of Georgia (2009)". Russian State Humanities University: 645–692. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Rapp, Stephen H. (2014). The Sasanian World through Georgian Eyes: Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian Literature. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-1472425522.
• Toumanoff, Cyril (1969). "Chronology of the early kings of Iberia". Traditio. Cambridge University Press. 25: 1–33. doi:10.1017/S0362152900010898. JSTOR 27830864. (registration required)