Byzantine-Georgian wars
Encyclopedia
The Byzantine–Georgian wars were a series conflicts fought during the 11th century and were mainly focused on several strategic districts in the Byzantine-Georgian-Armenia
n marchlands. Most of these lands were granted by Emperor Basil II
to the Georgian courapalates David III of Tao
in reward for his crucial assistance in the struggle against the rebel general Bardas Sklerus (978/9). However, David supported another unsuccessful noble revolt led by Bardas Phocas
at the end of the 980s. As a result, David was forced to make Basil II the legatee of his princedom. This agreement destroyed a previous arrangement by which David had made his adopted son, Bagrat of Abkhazia
, his heir. When David died early in 1000, Basil added his inheritance – Tao, Theodosiopolis (aka Karin, Karnu; the present day Erzurum
), Phasiane
and the Lake Van
region (Apahunik) with the city of Manzikert – to the Byzantine Empire
. The following year, the Georgian prince Gurgen
, natural father of Bagrat, marched to take David’s inheritance, but was thwarted by the Byzantine general Nikephoros Ouranos
, dux
of Antioch
. Despite these setbacks, Bagrat was able to become the first king of the unified Georgian state in 1008. He died in 1014, and his son, George I, inherited a longstanding claim to those territories in Tao which were in Byzantine hands.
ns, sent an army to expel the Georgians. This army was decisively defeated, but a Byzantine naval force
occupied the Khazar ports in the rear, that is, to the north-west, of George's dominions. Once, the annexation of Bulgaria was completed in 1018, preparations for a larger-scale campaign were set in train, beginning with the re-fortification of Theodosiopolis. In the autumn of 1021, Basil with a large army
, reinforced by the Varangian Guard
s, attacked the Georgians and their Armenian allies recovering Phasiane and pushing on beyond the frontiers of Tao into inner Georgia
. King George burned the city of Oltisi for not to fall in the enemy’s hands and retreated to Kola
. A bloody battle was fought near the village Shirimni
at the Lake Palakazio (now Çildir
, Turkey
) on September 11. The emperor won a costly victory, and forced George I to retreat northwards into his kingdom. Plundering the country on his way, Basil withdrew to winter at Trapezus
. Several attempts to negotiate the conflict went in vain. In the meantime George received reinforcements from the Kakheti
ans, and allied himself with the Byzantine commanders Nicephorus Phocas and Nicephorus Xiphias
in their abortive insurrection in the emperor’s rear. In December, George’s ally, the Armenian king Senekerim of Vaspurakan
, being harassed by the Seljuk Turks, surrendered his kingdom to the emperor. During the spring of 1022, Basil launched a final offensive winning a crushing victory over the Georgians at Svindax
. Menaced both by land and sea, King George handed over Tao, Phasiane, Kola
, Artaan
and Javakheti
, and left his infant son Bagrat a hostage in Basil's hands.
in 1027. However, a powerful party of Georgian nobles led by Bagrat's distant cousin Demetre, son of Gurgen of Klarjeti, refused to recognize his suzerainty, and invited a Byzantine army
in 1028. The Byzantines overran the Georgian borderlands and invested Kldekari
, a key fortress in Trialeti
province, but failed to take it and marched back on the region Shavsheti. The local bishop Saba of Tbeti organized a successful defense of the area forcing the Byzantines to change their tactics. The emperor Constantine VIII
then sent Demetrius, an exiled Georgian prince, who was considered by many as a legitimate pretender to the throne, to take a Georgian crown by force. This incited a new tide of the rebellion against Bagrat and his regent
, queen dowager
Mariam of Vaspurakan
. In the end of 1028, Constantine died, and the new emperor Romanus III recalled his army from Georgia. Queen Mariam visited Constantinople
in 1029/30 and negotiated a peace treaty between the two countries.
Early in the 1040s, a feudal opposition staged another revolt against Bagrat IV of Georgia
. The rebels led this time by Liparit IV, Duke of Kldekari
, requested a Byzantine aid and attempted to put Prince Demetrius on the throne. Yet, despite their efforts to take a key fortress Ateni
went in vain, Liparit and the Byzantines won a major victory at the Battle of Sasireti
in 1042 forcing Bagrat to take refuge in the western Georgian highlands. Soon Bagrat headed for Constantinople and, after the three years of negotiations achieved his recognition by the Byzantine court. Back to Georgia in 1051, he was able to force Liparit into exile. Actually, this was the end of the Byzantine-Georgian conflicts.
, the Georgian kings succeeded in retaining their independence and in uniting most of the Georgian lands into a single state. Many of the territories ceded to the empire were conquered by the Seljuk Turks towards the 1070s-1080s, but were then retaken by the Georgian King David IV
. Relations between the two Christian monarchies were then generally peaceful except for the episode of 1204, when Tamar of Georgia
took advantage of the Fourth Crusade
against Constantinople
, and invaded the Black Sea
provinces of the empire to help the Comnenus princes to found the Trapezuntine kingdom
.
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n marchlands. Most of these lands were granted by Emperor Basil II
Basil II
Basil II , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his long reign was dominated...
to the Georgian courapalates David III of Tao
David III of Tao
David III Kuropalates or David III the Great , also known as David II, was a Georgian prince of the Bagratid family of Tao/Tayk, a historic region in the Georgian–Armenian marchlands, from 966 until his murder in 1000...
in reward for his crucial assistance in the struggle against the rebel general Bardas Sklerus (978/9). However, David supported another unsuccessful noble revolt led by Bardas Phocas
Bardas Phocas
Bardas Phokas was an eminent Byzantine general who took a conspicuous part in three revolts for and against the ruling Macedonian dynasty.- First rebellion :...
at the end of the 980s. As a result, David was forced to make Basil II the legatee of his princedom. This agreement destroyed a previous arrangement by which David had made his adopted son, Bagrat of Abkhazia
Bagrat III of Georgia
Bagrat III , of the Georgian Bagrationi dynasty, was King of the Abkhazians from 978 on and King of Georgia from 1008 on. He united these two titles by dynastic inheritance and, through conquest and diplomacy, added some more lands to his realm, effectively becoming the first king of what is...
, his heir. When David died early in 1000, Basil added his inheritance – Tao, Theodosiopolis (aka Karin, Karnu; the present day Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
), Phasiane
Phasians
The Phasians were a subdivision of the Colchian tribes located in the eastern part of Pontus. The Greek commander Xenophon, who encountered them during his march through Asia Minor to the Black Sea , places them on the river Phasis...
and the Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
region (Apahunik) with the city of Manzikert – to the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. The following year, the Georgian prince Gurgen
Gurgen of Georgia
Gurgen also known as Gurgen Magistros, Gurgen II Magistros of the House of Bagrationi, was King of Kings of the Georgians from 994 until his death in 1008. Magistros was a title bestowed upon him by the Byzantine Emperor Basil II...
, natural father of Bagrat, marched to take David’s inheritance, but was thwarted by the Byzantine general Nikephoros Ouranos
Nikephoros Ouranos
Nikephoros Ouranos was a high-ranking Byzantine official and general during the reign of Emperor Basil II. One of the emperor's closest associates, he was active in Europe in the wars against the Bulgarians, scoring a major victory at Spercheios, and against the Arabs in Syria, where he held...
, dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
of Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
. Despite these setbacks, Bagrat was able to become the first king of the unified Georgian state in 1008. He died in 1014, and his son, George I, inherited a longstanding claim to those territories in Tao which were in Byzantine hands.
Georgian campaigns of Basil II
George I invaded and occupied Tao and Phasiane in 1014. Basil, involved in his campaign against the BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
ns, sent an army to expel the Georgians. This army was decisively defeated, but a Byzantine naval force
Byzantine navy
The Byzantine navy was the naval force of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire. Like the empire it served, it was a direct continuation from its imperial Roman predecessor, but played a far greater role in the defense and survival of the state then its earlier iterations...
occupied the Khazar ports in the rear, that is, to the north-west, of George's dominions. Once, the annexation of Bulgaria was completed in 1018, preparations for a larger-scale campaign were set in train, beginning with the re-fortification of Theodosiopolis. In the autumn of 1021, Basil with a large army
Byzantine army
The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct descendant of the Roman army, the Byzantine army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization...
, reinforced by the Varangian Guard
Varangian Guard
The Varangian Guard was an elite unit of the Byzantine Army in 10th to the 14th centuries, whose members served as personal bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperors....
s, attacked the Georgians and their Armenian allies recovering Phasiane and pushing on beyond the frontiers of Tao into inner Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. King George burned the city of Oltisi for not to fall in the enemy’s hands and retreated to Kola
Göle
Göle ) is a small city and surrounding district in Ardahan Province of Turkey. The city was formerly known as Merdenik, Merdinik or Ardahan-ı Küçük ....
. A bloody battle was fought near the village Shirimni
Battle of Shirimni
The Battle of Shirimni also known as the Battle of Palakazio was fought between the Byzantine and Georgian armies at the place of Shirimni at the Palakazio Lake on September 11, 1021.-Background:...
at the Lake Palakazio (now Çildir
Çildir
- Names :Çıldır is also called , Hiusisean; , Chrdili; , Childyr.- Background :The large Lake Çıldır in the district is an important haven for bird life....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
) on September 11. The emperor won a costly victory, and forced George I to retreat northwards into his kingdom. Plundering the country on his way, Basil withdrew to winter at Trapezus
Trapezus
Trapezus, Trapezounta, and Trapezounta can refer to:*Trabzon, an ancient settlement on the Black Sea in Turkey.*Trapezus, a city in the province Arcadia in Greece...
. Several attempts to negotiate the conflict went in vain. In the meantime George received reinforcements from the Kakheti
Kakheti
Kakheti is a historical province in Eastern Georgia inhabited by Kakhetians who speak a local dialect of Georgian. It is bordered by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, Russian Federation to the Northeast, Azerbaijan to the Southeast, and...
ans, and allied himself with the Byzantine commanders Nicephorus Phocas and Nicephorus Xiphias
Nicephorus Xiphias
Nikephoros Xiphias was a Byzantine military commander during the reign of Emperor Basil II. He was the governor of Plovdiv in Thrace. In 1001 he led a successful Byzantine campaign in north-eastern Bulgaria and captured the old Bulgarian capitals Pliska and Preslav.In 1014 he was among the...
in their abortive insurrection in the emperor’s rear. In December, George’s ally, the Armenian king Senekerim of Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan was the first and biggest province of Greater Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered around Lake Van...
, being harassed by the Seljuk Turks, surrendered his kingdom to the emperor. During the spring of 1022, Basil launched a final offensive winning a crushing victory over the Georgians at Svindax
Battle of Svindax
The Battle of Svindax was fought during the spring of 1022 between the Byzantine army of Emperor Basil II and the Georgian army of King George I. The battle was fought at Svindax in the Phasiane province . Ultimately, the Byzantines won a decisive victory...
. Menaced both by land and sea, King George handed over Tao, Phasiane, Kola
Kola
Kola can refer to:*Kola nut, a genus of about 125 species of trees**Inca Kola, a cola soft drink made in Peru**Kola Real, a Peruvian soft drink**Kola Inglesa , a Peruvian soft drink...
, Artaan
Ardahan
Ardahan is a city in northeastern Turkey, near the Georgian border.-Ancient and medieval:In Ancient times the region was called Gogarene, which is assumed to derive from the name of Gugars, who were a Proto-Kartvelian tribe...
and Javakheti
Javakheti
Javakheti is a historical region of the nation of Georgia, in the southeastern part of the country's Samtskhe-Javakheti province. Today it comprises the Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda municipal territories. It was historically bordered in the west with both sides of the Mtkvari river, in the north,...
, and left his infant son Bagrat a hostage in Basil's hands.
Georgian civil wars
On the death of his father, Bagrat returned home to become King Bagrat IV of GeorgiaBagrat IV of Georgia
Bagrat IV , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the King of Georgia from 1027 to 1072. During his long and eventful reign, Bagrat sought to repress the great nobility and to secure Georgia's sovereignty from the Byzantine and Seljuqid empires...
in 1027. However, a powerful party of Georgian nobles led by Bagrat's distant cousin Demetre, son of Gurgen of Klarjeti, refused to recognize his suzerainty, and invited a Byzantine army
Byzantine army
The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct descendant of the Roman army, the Byzantine army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization...
in 1028. The Byzantines overran the Georgian borderlands and invested Kldekari
Kldekari
Kldekari can mean:* Kldekari , a mountain in Georgia* Kldekari , a duchy in Georgia in 876-1103...
, a key fortress in Trialeti
Trialeti
Trialeti is a mountainous area in central Georgia. In Georgian its name means "a place of wandering". The Trialeti Range is a part of the greater Trialeti Region....
province, but failed to take it and marched back on the region Shavsheti. The local bishop Saba of Tbeti organized a successful defense of the area forcing the Byzantines to change their tactics. The emperor Constantine VIII
Constantine VIII
Constantine VIII was reigning Byzantine emperor from December 15, 1025 until his death. He was the son of the Emperor Romanos II and Theophano, and the younger brother of the eminent Basil II, who died childless and thus left the rule of the Byzantine Empire in his hands.-Family:As...
then sent Demetrius, an exiled Georgian prince, who was considered by many as a legitimate pretender to the throne, to take a Georgian crown by force. This incited a new tide of the rebellion against Bagrat and his regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, queen dowager
Queen Dowager
A queen dowager or dowager queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a deceased king. In the case of the widow of a deceased emperor, the title of empress dowager is used...
Mariam of Vaspurakan
Mariam of Vaspurakan
Mariam was the daughter of John-Senekerim II Artsruni, an Armenian king of Vaspurakan, and the first consort of the king George I of Georgia. As a Dowager Queen of Georgia, she was a regent for her underage son, Bagrat IV, from 1027 to 1037, and was involved in diplomacy with the Byzantine...
. In the end of 1028, Constantine died, and the new emperor Romanus III recalled his army from Georgia. Queen Mariam visited Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
in 1029/30 and negotiated a peace treaty between the two countries.
Bagrat IV of Georgia
Bagrat IV , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the King of Georgia from 1027 to 1072. During his long and eventful reign, Bagrat sought to repress the great nobility and to secure Georgia's sovereignty from the Byzantine and Seljuqid empires...
. The rebels led this time by Liparit IV, Duke of Kldekari
Liparit IV, Duke of Kldekari
Liparit IV, sometimes known as Liparit III , was an 11th-century Georgian general and political figure who was at times the most valuable support of King Bagrat IV of Georgia and his most dangerous rival...
, requested a Byzantine aid and attempted to put Prince Demetrius on the throne. Yet, despite their efforts to take a key fortress Ateni
Ateni (Georgia)
Ateni was a medieval city in Georgia, in the valley of the Tana river, on both banks of the river. Ateni was built in the 11th century by the Georgian king Bagrat IV. The city was secured with three fortresses located near Ateni: Ateni fortress, Vere fortress and Dektsikhe...
went in vain, Liparit and the Byzantines won a major victory at the Battle of Sasireti
Battle of Sasireti
The Battle of Sasireti took place in 1042 at the village of Sasireti in the present day Shida Kartli region, not far from the town of Kaspi, during the civil war in the Kingdom of Georgia...
in 1042 forcing Bagrat to take refuge in the western Georgian highlands. Soon Bagrat headed for Constantinople and, after the three years of negotiations achieved his recognition by the Byzantine court. Back to Georgia in 1051, he was able to force Liparit into exile. Actually, this was the end of the Byzantine-Georgian conflicts.
Aftermath
Despite the territorial losses to Basil IIBasil II
Basil II , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his long reign was dominated...
, the Georgian kings succeeded in retaining their independence and in uniting most of the Georgian lands into a single state. Many of the territories ceded to the empire were conquered by the Seljuk Turks towards the 1070s-1080s, but were then retaken by the Georgian King David IV
David IV of Georgia
David IV "the Builder", also known as David II , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Georgia from 1089 until his death in 1125....
. Relations between the two Christian monarchies were then generally peaceful except for the episode of 1204, when Tamar of Georgia
Tamar of Georgia
Tamar , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was Queen Regnant of Georgia from 1184 to 1213. Tamar presided over the "Golden age" of the medieval Georgian monarchy...
took advantage of the Fourth Crusade
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
against Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, and invaded the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
provinces of the empire to help the Comnenus princes to found the Trapezuntine kingdom
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
.