Style of the Georgian sovereign
Jesus Christ, [glorify] King David, of the Abkhazians,[h] Iberians,[c] Ranis,[n] Kakhetians,[n] Armenians"[j]. The king is depicted wearing sakkos with an imperial crown having pendilia and holding a cross alongside globus cruciger. A coin shows the king as a true Byzantine emperor.[k] Kept at the British Museum in the United Kingdom since 1857.[p]
The style of the Georgian sovereign (
disintegration of the realm
.
Pre-Christian Georgian monarchs of the
heretics.[15] Even though unprecedentedly "Byzantinized Georgia"[16] entertained its powerful neighbor's concepts and models of Constantinopolitan bureaucracy and aristocracy, it was never slavishly adopted or mimicked; rather, it was creatively and deliberately adapted to the local culture and environment. At the same time, the rulers of Christian Georgia would still be embracing the traditional influences of the Persian Shahnameh[17] and Arabic legends[18] that would remain strong and intact; some of their styles would even become Islamic[m] in type.[19][20][21] As the Crown would be gathering additional lands the style would continue to expand, but remain distinctly enumerated and include all the subjects of the Georgian monarch.[22] Even after the collapse of the unified kingdom, Georgian kings would continue to emblazon themselves with the former imperial style and they would stake the claim to be the absolute rulers of all-Georgia.[23] This imperial legacy of the Bagrations continues to bear fruit even today, with its self-image as the unrivalled pinnacle of the Georgian politics, culture and society.[24]
According to the chronicler of
high medieval Georgia, the royal court would never pardon the insult towards a monarch.[27] King Vakhtang VI, however, maintained that there was no official punishment for lèse-majesté.[28]
Style
Sovereigns of Iberia
Style | Sovereign |
---|---|
King of all Kartli and Eguri.[29][b] | King Pharnavaz I
|
King of the Iberians.[30][c] | King Artoces |
King of the Iberians.[31] | King Pharnavaz II |
King of the Iberians.[32] | King Artaxias II |
Great King of Iberia.[33]
|
King Pharasmanes I
|
King of the Iberians.[34][d] | King Mithridates I
|
King of Iberia.[e] | King Pharasmanes II
|
Great King of the Iberians.[35] | King Ghadam
|
Great King of the Iberians.[36] | King Amazasp II
|
King of the Iberians.[37] | King Aspacures I
|
King of Iberia, Hereti, Movakani and Colchis.[38]
|
King Mirian III
|
King of the Iberians.[39] | King Mithridates V
|
King of Iberia, King of the Ten Kings.[40] | King Vakhtang I
|
King of the Iberians.[41] | King Bacurius III
|
King of the Iberians.[42] | King Adarnase IV |
King of the Iberians.[43] | King David II |
King of the Iberians.[44] | King Bagrat II |
King of the Iberians, the kouropalates of all the East, the eye of Orthodoxy.[45][46] | King David III |
King of Kings of the Iberians.[47][48] | King Gurgen |
Sovereigns of the united Georgia
Style | Sovereign |
---|---|
King of the | King Bagrat III |
King of the Abkhazians and Iberians, the kourapalates of all the East.[50] | King George I |
King of Kings, of the Abkhazians and Iberians, strong and invincible, the Orthodox king.[54]
|
King Bagrat IV |
King of the Abkhazians and Iberians, the nobilissimus, the sebastos, the caesar of all the East and the West.[55][56][57] | King George II |
King of Kings, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, | King David IV |
King of Kings, Sword of the Messiah, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians,[65][66] king of all the East.[67] | King Demetre I
|
King of Kings, sword of the Messiah.[68] | King David V |
King of Kings, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, Armenians, | King George III |
King of Kings, Queen of Queens, empress (autokrator) of all the East and West, champion[i] of the Messiah,[72][73] of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, and Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah, the great queen, the Glory of the World and of the Faith, daughter of the great King of Kings,[74][75] sovereign of Christendom.[76] | Queen Tamar |
King of Kings, son of Tamar, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah, the Sovereign of all the East and the West, sword of the Messiah,[77][78] lord of the Javakhians, the great king, glory of the world and faith.[79] | King George IV |
Queen of Kings and Queens, the glory of the world, kingdom and of the faith, daughter of Tamar, champion[i] of the Messiah.[80][81] | Queen Rusudan |
King of Kings, son of King of Kings Rusudan, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah, the Sovereign of all Georgia and the North, Qaan, of the ruler of the world, David the king.[84]
|
King David VI |
King of Kings, son of Giorgi, sword of the Messiah.[85] | King David VII |
King of Kings, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.[86] | King David VIII |
King, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.[87] | King Vakhtang III |
King of Kings of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, of the East and the West, of the South and the North, of both countries, of two[q] thrones and crowns, the godlike Suzerain and the Sovereign.[88] | King George V |
King of Kings of all.[89] | King David IX
|
King of Kings of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, the Suzerain and Sovereign of all the North, the East and the West, descendant of Gorgasali.[90]
|
King Bagrat V |
King of Kings of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah, of all Georgia, of all the East and the West, of the North, the Sovereign and Suzerain of two[q] kingdoms, the ruler of all,[91][92] the victorious king.[93] | King George VII |
King of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah of all the East and North, the Sovereign.[94] | King Constantine I |
King of Kings, of many, Shirvanshah, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, Armenians, of all Georgia and the North, of the West and the East, the Suzerain and Sovereign of two[q] golden thrones and all the lands.[95][96] | King Alexander I |
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of two[q] thrones and kingdoms, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, descendant of Nimrod,[97] slave of God.[98] | King George VIII |
King of Kings, strong and invincible, majestic and protector of the holy kingdom, of the Jikians, Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shirvanshah, of all the East and the West, of all Georgia, of all the North, the Suzerain and Sovereign of the throne.[99] | King Bagrat VI
|
Sovereigns of Kartli
Style | Sovereign |
---|---|
King of Kings, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah.[100][101] | King Simon I |
King of Kings and Sovereign of Kartli.[102] | King George X |
King of Kings and Sovereign of Kartli.[103] | King Rostom |
King of Kings and Sovereign of Kartli.[104] | King Vakhtang V |
King of Kings and Sovereign of Kartli.[105][106] | King Luarsab II
|
King of Kings and Sovereign of Kartli, by will of God, by mercy of Shah Abbas.[107] | King Bagrat VII
|
King of Kings of Kartli,[108] by will of God, by order of Shah Abbas.[109] | King Simon II |
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of Kartli.[110] | King George XI
|
King and Sovereign of Kartli, Lord of all Georgia.[111] | King Vakhtang VI |
Sovereigns of Kakheti
Style | Sovereign |
---|---|
King and Sovereign of Kakheti.[112] | King Levan |
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of Kakheti.[113] | King Alexander II |
King and Sovereign of Kakheti.[114] | King Teimuraz I |
King of Imereti and Kakheti.[o] | King Archil |
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of Kakheti.[115] | King Heraclius I |
King of Kings, Sovereign of Kakheti, son of Great King and High Sovereign of Iran.[116] | King David II |
King of Kings, Sovereign of Kakheti, | King Constantine II |
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of Kartli, Kakheti, Lord of Borchali.[119]
|
King Teimuraz II |
Sovereigns of Imereti
Style | Sovereign |
---|---|
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, of all the East and the West, the South and the North, of both two[q] thrones and kingdoms.[120][121] | King Alexander II |
King of Kings and the Sovereign of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, of the East and the West.[122] | King Bagrat III |
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, of all the East and the West, the South and the North, of both two[q] kingdoms and countries, the High King, Godly anointed and invincible, the most excellent King of all, of the most brilliant purple crown, son of Great, all-powerful and invincible King of Kings.[123] | King George II |
King of Kings, the Sovereign of both two[q] thrones.[124] | King Levan |
King of Kings, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Kakhetians, Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, of all the East and the West, the South and the North, the Sovereign of both two[q] thrones and countries, Godly given and anointed, great and invincible, the most excellent King of all, of the brilliant sceptre and a purple crown.[125] | King Rostom |
King of Kings, the Sovereign, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah of all the other kings and countries, strong and invincible,[126][127] supreme by God and unyielding by God.[128] | King George III |
King of Kings, the Sovereign.[129] | King Alexander III |
King of Imereti and Kakheti.[o] | King Archil |
King of Kings, the King.[130] | King Alexander V |
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of all Imereti.[131][132] | King Solomon I |
King of Kings of all Imereti.[133] | King David II |
King of all Imeretians.[134] | King Solomon II |
Sovereigns of Kartli—Kakheti
Style | Sovereign |
---|---|
King of Kartli, Kakheti and all Georgia, successor sovereign and lord of | King Heraclius II |
King of all Georgia, King of all Kartli, Kakheti and all the other lands, the Lord.[138][139] | King George XII
|
See also
Notes
Per Stele of Vespasian.
Per Fasti Ostienses.
The Kingdom of Abkhazia was afforded first place in the style as a memory of sequence of acquisition of authority by King Bagrat III, from being King of Abkhazia first and later on king of all-Georgia. The Georgian royal court was inspired by the Byzantine model of rule of law and the continued rendering of Abkhazia to the first place in the style of the Bagrationi kings was largely due to legal considerations. Also, as Abkhazia was under heavy Byzantine influence, the Georgian monarchs wanted to raise the status of the western region to such a high level to reflect the importance of this area to the Georgian realm. The court would have set up the majority of the royal residences mostly in the western regions of the kingdom, in Abkhazia and Imereti.[153][154]
mepe, they were not an actual heads of the army and battlefield leaders, by virtue of their gender.[155] It is noteworthy that Tamar was never depicted on frescos with a sword.[156] Despite the fact that The Georgian Chronicles explicitly state that when Tamar was recrowned after his father's death, "all by one consent joined in raising to Tamar her father's sword, bestowed on her at the same time as her father's throne", still none of the depictions of the queen show her carrying the sword. The chronicle would explain this by stressing Tamar's hatred of violence.[157]