Лазика: Батыс Грузия тарихындағы мемлекет

Former country

Lazica (, Egrisi; , Laziǩa; , Lazikí) was the kingdom in the territory of west Georgia in the Roman/Byzantine period, from about the 1st century BC. Created as a result of the collapse of the kingdom of Colchis and the gaining of independence by the tribal territorial units included in it in 131 ad.

In the Svan language, the Svans refer to the Mingrelia (Samegrelo) region as Lazan, La is the Svan territorial prefix and Lazan means "the land of the Zans".

By the mid 3rd century, Lazica was given partial autonomy within the Roman Empire and developed into a kingdom. Throughout much of its existence, it was mainly a Byzantine strategic vassal kingdom that briefly came under Sasanian Persian rule during the Lazic War. The kingdom fell to the Muslim conquest in the 7th century. Lazica in the 8th century successfully repelled the Arab occupation and formed part of the Kingdom of Abkhazia from c. 780, one of the early medieval polities which would converge into the unified kingdom of Georgia in the 11th century.

In the early 4th century, the Christian eparchy (eastern bishopric) of Pityus was established in this kingdom, and as in neighboring Iberia Christianity was declared as an official religion in AD 319. Other ancient episcopal sees in Lazica include Rhodopolis, Saesina, and Zygana. Bishop Stratophilus of Pityus was among the participants of the First Council of Nicaea in 325. The first Christian king of Lazica was Gubazes I; in the 5th century, Christianity was made the official religion of Lazica. Later, the nobility and clergy of Lazica switched from the Hellenic ecclesiastic tradition to the Georgian, and Georgian became the language of culture and education. The Bichvinta Cathedral is one of oldest monuments of Georgian Christian architecture. It was constructed by King Bagrat III of Georgia (978 1014, an Orthodox saint).

RulerReignNotes1. Malassasmentioned by Arrian in 131vassal of the Roman Emperor Hadrian.2. Pacorusa contemporary of the Antoninus Pius (r. 138–161)his name is found on a coin issued by him.3. Gubazes Iattested c. 456 – 4664. Damnazes?–521/5225. Tzath Iattested 521/522 – 527/5286. Opsitesdates of reign unknown, likely some time before 5417. Gubazes II c. 541 – 5558. Tzath II556–?9. Lebarniciusc. 662mentioned as "patricius of Lazica" in the
Hypomnensticum of Theodosius and Theodore of Gangra10. Grigor670 – c. 67511. Sergiusc. 696/697