Tzath II of Lazica
Encyclopedia
Tzath II was King of Lazica from 556 to an unknown date. He was the younger brother of Gubazes II
, who was assassinated by Byzantine
generals in autumn 555. At the time, Tzath resided at the Byzantine capital, Constantinople
, and the Lazi
sent a delegation to the Byzantine emperor Justinian I
(r. 527–565) to request both justice for their murdered king and the confirmation of Tzath as their new king (the Lazic rulers, as client kings, had to have their accession confirmed by the emperor, who awarded them with their regalia
). Tzath arrived in Lazica in spring 556, accompanied by the magister militum
Soterichus, and was received in an elaborately staged welcome ceremony. Nothing further is known of him.
Tzath II is the last known ruler of the dynasty of the kings of Lazica. After the Byzantine–Iranian treaty of 561, Lazica gradually disappears from the sources.Toumanoff (1963), p. 255.
Gubazes II of Lazica
Gubazes II was king of Lazica from ca. 541 until his assassination in 555. He was one of the central personalities of the Lazic War, first as a Sassanid Persian vassal and after 548 as an ally of the Eastern Roman Empire....
, who was assassinated by Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
generals in autumn 555. At the time, Tzath resided at the Byzantine capital, 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 the Lazi
Laz people
The Laz are an ethnic group native to the Black Sea coastal regions of Turkey and Georgia...
sent a delegation to the Byzantine emperor Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
(r. 527–565) to request both justice for their murdered king and the confirmation of Tzath as their new king (the Lazic rulers, as client kings, had to have their accession confirmed by the emperor, who awarded them with their regalia
Regalia
Regalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'...
). Tzath arrived in Lazica in spring 556, accompanied by the magister militum
Magister militum
Magister militum was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine. Used alone, the term referred to the senior military officer of the Empire...
Soterichus, and was received in an elaborately staged welcome ceremony. Nothing further is known of him.
Tzath II is the last known ruler of the dynasty of the kings of Lazica. After the Byzantine–Iranian treaty of 561, Lazica gradually disappears from the sources.Toumanoff (1963), p. 255.
Sources
- Toumanoff, CyrilCyril ToumanoffCyril Leo Heraclius, Prince Toumanoff was an United States-based historian and genealogist who mostly specialized in the history and genealogies of medieval Georgia, Armenia, the Byzantine Empire, and Iran...
(1963). Studies in Christian Caucasian History, p. 269. Georgetown University PressGeorgetown University PressGeorgetown University Press, founded in 1964, is an American publishing house that publishes forty new books a year. The press is a member of the Association of American University Presses and a founding member of the Association of Jesuit University Presses .It supports the academic mission of...
.