Abstract:
Three kings by name Archil are mentioned in Georgian royal lists. The
first one – he is a focus of my investigation - occupied the throne of Kartli
Kingdom in ca. 420s-430s. The life of many Georgian kings, let say, Vakhtang
Gorgasali, David the Builder, Queen Tamar etc are familiar to the widest strata
of Georgian society (which is characterized with great interest in national past)
in detail. As for Archil, he remains actually unnoticeable; text-books in
Georgian history for primary schools are completely ignoring his reign, so do
text-books for high schools. Only in exceptional cases they represent Archil’s
epoch at the best in two sentences.
Georgian historians, those not specialized concretely in the antique
period, also have very uncertain knowledge about Archil, while the opinions of
those directly involved in research of Georgian history in period of Late
Antiquity, are dramatically divided.
I myself have published several investigations in which among the other
themes attempted to outline political and personal profiles of king Archil,
however, I am not sure that my representations had had any impact on
subsequent study of the problem. They were neither accepted, nor criticized, but
simply ignored.
This specific state of problem study served for me as motivation to direct
my attention again to this complicated problem.
All the sources I am using for the present investigation are well known
for specialists in field. The novelty of my research lies in new interpretations of
these sources and new understanding of connections between information they
are providing. The evidences, previously viewed as contradictory and mutually
exclusive, harmoniously co-exist in my concluding narrative. Below I will
display this narrative briefly.
Archil belonged to the royal house of Chosroids. Chosroids were Georgian
kings of Persian origin. The founder of this house was Mirian – the illegal son of Iranian Shah. Mirian had established Christianity as a state religion in
Kartli Kingdom. Archil was Mirian’s grandson. He was ascetic. He made royal
apartments like church and retained his virginity even after being forcibly
married. His father Rev also was of ascetic mood and refused to occupy the
throne. The ascetic spirit was common among the Christian aristocracy in Late
Antiquity. Very interesting examples of this kind might be found in history of
imperial court in Constantinople. Georgian royal family was closely linked with
the centers of Christendom and the ideal of ascetic ruler deeply persuaded
worldview of Georgian political elite. Archil occupied the throne in rather old
age after his two brothers (Bakur and Trdat) death; after his son-in-law (husband
of his brother’s daughter) Varaz-Bakur who lost the power because of Persian
invasion; his brothers’ and sister’s sons ( king Bakur, Parsman and Mirdat)
also ruled before him. All of these kings, except Trdat and Varaz-Bakur, died
without heir. Trdat’s heir Bakur also died without heir. Finally, only Varaz-
Bakur had son from Chosroid princess. This son was Murvanos (//Mirvan,
Mirian) who by this time was as respected hostage in Constantinople. He is a
well known Georgian ascetic Peter the Iberian. Thus, after the death of above
mentioned king Mirdat, the royal house of Chosroids faced the crises occurred
because of absence of heir. Archil had no chance to have his own kids. The only
heir was Murvanos who inherited the throne in the maternal line. He was Arcil’s
grandson (Archil was brother of Peter’s grandfather in maternal line). Evidently
Archil was ignoramus in state affairs. It is why he needed Peter’s father Varaz-
Bakur as co-ruler. By occupying the throne Archil as Chosroid gave legitimacy
to Varaz-Bakur. Actually both Archil and Varaz-Bakur were waiting returning
of Murvanos. However, Murvanos who also was ascetic by nature from the very
early years, escaped imperial apartments and fled to Palestine where he became
monk and by this decision put end to the hopes of his father and grandfather. In
the new circumstances Georgian ruling circles found alternative solution to the
problem: Archil adopted Varaz-Bakur’s son Mirdat from his first marriage.
Later on Mirdat, became father of great Georgian king Vakhtang Gorgasali.
Thus, Vachtang Gorgasali actually was not Chosroid, however, he as well as all
next Georgian kings until the eighth century ruled in name of Chosroids. This is
quite understandable: adopted members of the family enjoyed all rights of real
(based on actual kinship) members.
The epoch when Archil was in power represents one of the most
unfavorable period in whole Georgian history: the pressure of Iran was too
intensive and because of this political situation was characterized by instability.
Four archbishops were changed, evidently because they were not able to please Iran. Iranians tried to make archbishops like Shah’s officials. At last they
achieved this goal. Though this happened after Archil’s death, however, it is
clear that during Archil’s reign Iranians permanently attempted to do this and
the fact of changing of four archbishops reflects these sad reality.
The economical affairs of the country also were very far from perfection:
the first church in the capital city of Mtskheta which was made from wood had
been fallen down. According to Georgian tradition this was special church
marking the sacral center of the Universe: church was built on the place where
the most sacral thing – The Robe of Lord was entombed and kept Vivifying
Pillar. As it was impossible to restore the church, archbishop who was residing
here, had to be moved to another church and took with him the Vivifying Pillar.
However, at least one positive fact definitely happened during the
Archil’s reign. This was Church of Proto-martyr Saint Stephen built in this
period. In 415 the remains of Stephen miraculously were obtained in Palestine.
This fact echoed throughout the whole Christendom. From now on saints began
to be treated as special agents in spread of Christianity; their relicts too had been
endowed with great importance. Georgian Christian rulers even before these
facts showed great interest in obtaining relicts. Especially vigorous in this was
Varaz-Bakur whose efforts affected his son Peter; Peter admired the relicts of
Persian Saints which were sent to his father from Persia by his men. These
relicts indeed had played great role in life of Peter the Iberian.
The building of Saint Stephen Church in Mtskheta was almost synchronous
with building of Church in Jerusalem where the greatest portion of relict
had been deposed. By this time Peter the Iberian was in Jerusalem and even
attended the consecration of the church in 438. He was very close to the persons
who had direct access to these relicts. First of all I mean Melania the Younger
and also Empress Eudocia. It is why I think that Peter was able to acquisite
some relicts of Saint Stephen for the Church in his native city. Thus, it is high
probability that the church in Mtskheta possessed the relicts of Saint Stephen.
Only by this fact might be explained the initiative of Georgian nobility to build
Saint Stephen Church in Mtskheta in extremely unfavorable times when even
restoration of Church of Vivifying Pillar (Svetitskhiveli) was impossible.
Stephen’s Church in Mtkheta should be considered as an important fact in
history of Christianity. It was evidently one of the most ancient Churches of
Saint Stephen with relicts from authentic source. This Church is preserved
fragmentally until today and one can find it easily nearby the Church of
Vivifying Pillar – Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.