Episodes
Gelati Academy: Georgia's Medieval Light of Learning
In this episode of The History of Georgia: Kingdoms Between Great Powers, Lucas and Luna explore the founding and legacy of the Gelati Academy, the medieval Georgian center of learning that thrived under King David IV the Builder in the early twelfth century. They discuss how Gelati, built near Kutaisi in the western kingdom of Imereti, became a hub for translating Greek, Arabic, and Persian texts into Georgian, and how it trained a generation of scholars, scribes, and churchmen who helped…
The Georgian Highlands: Imereti and the Rise of the West
In episode 211, Lucas and Luna climb out of the lowlands to the misty foothills of Imereti, where a new Georgian kingdom emerges in the wreckage of the Mongol Ilkhanate. They trace the rise of the Bagrationi branch that broke away from Kartli, the shifting borders between east and west, and the fierce independence of western Georgia's mountain clans. Along the way they meet King Giorgi I of Imereti, the rival dukes of Racha, and the deadly game of marriage alliances with the neighboring Ottoman…
The Alans of the Caucasus: A Forgotten Kingdom
Before the Mongols, before the Ottomans, a powerful Iranian-speaking people ruled the northern slopes of the Caucasus: the Alans. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the rise and fall of the Alan kingdom, from their origins as steppe nomads to their conversion to Christianity and their eventual absorption into the medieval Georgian world. Discover the Alan city of Maghas, their fierce resistance against Mongol invasions, and the legacy that survives in the Ossetian people today. Along the…
The Georgian Queen Who Fought the Mongols: Rusudan's Lost Years
In 1226, Georgia's Queen Rusudan watched Jalal al-Din's Khwarazmian army sack Tbilisi and hang the cross above the city's mosque. But her greater struggle came after: decades of Mongol pressure, a kingdom split between her nephew and her son, and a crown she held by sheer will. This episode follows Rusudan's reign from the death of her brother Giorgi IV Lasha to her own death in 1245, tracing her desperate diplomacy with the papacy, her uneasy submission to the Mongol general Chormaqan, and the…
The Battle of Samshvilde: Georgia's Last Stand Against the Seljuks
Before Didgori, there was Samshvilde. In 1064, the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan marched into the Caucasus and crushed the armies of King Bagrat IV of Georgia at the fortress city of Samshvilde. This episode tells the story of that overlooked catastrophe — the betrayal that opened the gates, the sack that humiliated the kingdom, and the long shadow it cast over the next five decades. We explore the strategic importance of Samshvilde, a fortress that guarded the approaches to Tbilisi, and how its…
The Georgian Queen Who Married Three Times: Rusudan's Gamble
In this episode, Lucas and Luna look past Queen Tamar to her less famous successor, Queen Rusudan of Georgia (r. 1223–1245). Rusudan took the throne just as the Mongol storm broke over the Caucasus. Her reign was a long, painful rearguard action: she lost the capital Tbilisi, watched her kingdom fracture, and tried every diplomatic tool she had — including a controversial marriage to the Seljuk prince of Erzurum. We follow her attempts to forge alliances with the Khwarazmian prince Jalal…
Jvari Monastery: Georgia's Hilltop Witness to a New Faith
On a hilltop overlooking the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, the Jvari monastery has stood for over thirteen centuries as a silent witness to Georgia's conversion to Christianity. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the history of this UNESCO World Heritage site, from its pagan roots as a place of the Great God Armazi to the small church built by King Mirian's envoy, Step'anos, and the grand tetraconch church commissioned by Prince Step'anos I in the 590s. They discuss the…
The Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti: Georgia's Forgotten Eastern Realm
Before the Bagrationi kings unified Georgia, a lesser-known dynasty ruled the eastern marches: the Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how this buffer state between the Caliphate, Byzantium, and the Khazars carved out its own identity. We follow the rise of the Arevmaneli dynasty, the reign of Kvirike III the Great, and the kingdom's eventual absorption into the Georgian realm under David IV the Builder. Along the way, we encounter the legendary Queen Dinara, the…
The Iron Fortress of Tmogvi: Georgia's Unbreakable Border
This episode of The History of Georgia digs into the story of Tmogvi, the fortress that guarded Georgia's southern border for centuries. Perched on a cliff above the Kura River, Tmogvi was a linchpin in the kingdom's defenses against Seljuk, Mongol, and Ottoman invasions. We trace its construction in the 9th century, its role in Queen Tamar's expansion, and its dramatic fall to the Ottomans in the 16th century, when the fortress's iconic seven towers were finally breached. Along the way, we…
The Mongol Yoke: Georgia Under the Ilkhanate
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a century of Georgian history under Mongol domination, from the devastating invasions of the 1220s to the rise of the Ilkhanate and the kingdom's eventual fragmentation. They discuss how Queen Rusudan navigated a precarious vassalage, the brutal punitive campaigns that reduced Tbilisi to rubble, and the administrative systems the Mongols imposed on the Caucasus. The episode also delves into the cultural resilience of Georgia during this period, including…
The Georgian Knights of Jerusalem: The Order of the Holy Sepulchre
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a remarkable chapter of medieval Georgian history: the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. Founded in the early twelfth century under King David IV the Builder, this chivalric order was headquartered in the Holy Land and operated alongside the Knights Hospitaller and Templars. The order's origins lie in Georgian pilgrimages to Jerusalem, which had become a major devotion after the Georgian Church established a monastery there in the fifth century. Lucas explains…
The Fall of Tbilisi 1122: David the Builder's Reclaimed Capital
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic siege of Tbilisi in 1122, when King David IV the Builder finally drove out the Seljuk Turks and made the ancient city the heart of a reunited Georgia. They trace the decades of Muslim rule, the failed attempts by earlier Bagrationi kings, and the devastating famine inside the city walls. They also examine David's brutal punishment of the Muslim population, the legend of the severed heads, and how the king's piety and strategic ruthlessness…
Episode 200: The Battle of Basian and Georgia's Last Great Crusade
For episode 200, we step back to 1203, to the windswept highlands of Basian where Queen Tamar's general, Ivane Mkhargrdzeli, faced the Seljuk Sultan Rukn ad-Din with a fraction of his army. This is the story of the Battle of Basian, a night march, a false surrender, and a Christian kingdom's last great stand against the Muslim tide. We'll explore the geopolitics of the late Crusades, the fragile peace between Georgia and the Sultanate of Rum, and how Tamar's victory echoed through the Caucasus…
The Bagratid Restoration: Georgia's Throw of the Dice
In the 1120s, King David IV the Builder didn't just win a battle — he changed the rules. This episode of The History of Georgia follows David's leap from the fortified cave city of Uplistsikhe to the gates of Tbilisi, where a century of Seljuk rule was about to end. We look at how he enlisted Kipchak horse archers, reformed the army, and used the First Crusade's aftershocks to carve out a new Georgia. The centrepiece is the 1121 Battle of Didgori — a day so complete that Georgians still call it…
Vakhtang Gorgasali: The Wolf's Head Who Built Tbilisi
Before Tbilisi was the capital, before the Bagrationi dynasty, there was Vakhtang Gorgasali — the fifth-century king of Iberia who wore a wolf-headed helmet, fought the Sasanian Empire, and, according to legend, founded Tbilisi after a hunting trip. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace his life from a childhood marked by his mother's regency, through his campaigns alongside the Byzantine emperor, to his death in battle against the Sasanians. They explore the legend of the hot springs that gave…
The Heirs of King Mirian: Iberia's Little-Known Dynasties
In this episode of The History of Georgia, Lucas and Luna explore the centuries between the Christian conversion of Iberia and the rise of the Bagrationi dynasty — a period often overshadowed by better-known rulers. They focus on the Chosroid and Guaramid dynasties, the heirs of King Mirian III, whose reigns shaped the kingdom through alliances with Byzantium and the Sasanian Empire. The conversation covers the establishment of autocephaly under King Vakhtang I, the strategic marriage of…
The Battle of Didgori: Georgia's Turning Point Against the Seljuks
In 1121, a coalition of Seljuk and Georgian forces clashed at Didgori, a battle that reshaped the Caucasus. King David IV the Builder, who had unified Georgia and modernized its army, faced a numerically superior enemy. Using a combination of heavy cavalry, Kipchak auxiliaries, and a daring feigned retreat, the Georgians shattered the Seljuk army, opening the way for the reconquest of Tbilisi. This episode explores the strategies, the personalities, and the aftermath of a victory that became a…
The Georgian Script: A Written Voice Through the Centuries
Before the Bagrationi kings, before the Mongol invasions, before the Russian annexation—Georgia already had a written voice. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the life of the Georgian script, from its mysterious creation in the fifth century to its survival under Persian, Ottoman, and Soviet rule. They explore the oldest known inscriptions, the golden age of manuscript illumination under Queen Tamar, and the role of the script in forging a national identity. Along the way: the legend of…
The Dual Kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti in the Seventeenth Century
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the intricate political landscape of seventeenth-century Georgia, focusing on the dual kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti. They discuss how these realms navigated the competing pressures of the Ottoman and Safavid empires, the cultural renaissance under King Teimuraz I, and the devastating consequences of the forced migration of tens of thousands of Georgians to Persia. The episode sheds light on the complex legacy of King Rostom, who accepted Islam to secure…
The Sasanian Walls of Derbent: Georgia's Northern Gate
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the monumental Sasanian fortifications of Derbent, the so-called 'Gates of Alexander' on the Caspian Sea, and how these walls shaped the fate of the Caucasus, including Georgia. They discuss the engineering marvels of the sixth century, the role of the Khazars and other steppe nomads, the strategic importance of the Caspian Gates, and the Byzantine-Sasanian rivalry that turned Derbent into a flashpoint. The conversation also touches on the local…
Queen Tamar's Coin: The Silver That Shaped Georgia
In this episode, we trace the story of Queen Tamar's silver coinage — the first Georgian currency to bear a female ruler's name and imagery. We explore how Tamar, reigning from 1184 to 1213, transformed Georgia's economy through a unified monetary system that stretched from Tbilisi to Trebizond. We discuss the coins' design, featuring Tamar's portrait and Georgian script, and their role in projecting royal authority. We also examine the minting process, the silver mines of the Caucasus, and the…
Georgia's Queen Tamar and the Golden Age's Female Ruler
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Queen Tamar of Georgia, the first woman to rule the kingdom in her own right. They discuss her rise to power despite patriarchal opposition, her military victories including the Battle of Shamkor, and her patronage of arts and culture that defined Georgia's Golden Age. The episode also covers her diplomatic skill in navigating the Crusader states, the Byzantine Empire, and the Muslim powers of the region, as well as her legacy in Georgian…
The Bagrationi Dynasty’s Long Shadow: From Kings to the Russian Empire
After three centuries of Mongol, Timurid, and Ottoman domination, the Bagrationi dynasty of Georgia faced its final reckoning. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dynasty's survival through fragmentation, the tragic reign of Constantine II, the rise of the autonomous kingdoms of Kartli, Kakheti, and Imereti, and the Russian Empire's slow absorption of Georgia. They discuss the Treaty of Georgievsk, the betrayal of Tsar Paul I, the 1801 manifesto, and the emotional legacy of a ruling…
The Georgian Church of the Holy Sepulchre
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a hidden corner of Jerusalem: the small Georgian Orthodox community that held a foothold in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for centuries. They trace its origins to the Bagrationi kings and Queen Tamar, who funded monasteries and defended Georgian presence in the Crusader states. The conversation moves from the early pilgrim routes through the Caucasus to the golden age of Georgian monasticism on Mount Athos and in the Black Mountains near Antioch. They…
The Lazica War: Rome and Persia in the Caucasus
In this episode, Lucas and Luna step back from the Bagrationi kings to explore one of the most savage and consequential conflicts in the Caucasus: the Lazica War of 541–562 CE. Caught between the Byzantine Empire and Sasanian Persia, the small kingdom of Lazica on the Black Sea coast became the arena for a decades-long struggle for control of the Silk Road and the strategic passes of the Caucasus. We meet King Gubazes II, whose shifting allegiances led to tragedy, and the generals Bessas and…
The Golden Fleece: Colchis and Georgia's Ancient Origins
In this episode, Lucas and Luna journey back to the misty origins of Georgia, exploring the ancient kingdom of Colchis. Often overshadowed by the later Bagratid monarchs, Colchis was a crucible of culture and commerce on the Black Sea, famous for its gold and the legend of the Golden Fleece. They discuss the historical reality behind the Argonaut myth—the technique of panning gold with sheep fleeces in the mountain streams. They examine the Greek colonies like Dioscurias and Phasis, and the…
David VII Ulu: Georgia's Mongol Captive King
In the aftermath of the Mongol invasion, the Kingdom of Georgia was shattered. Queen Rusudan's son, David VII, was sent as a hostage to the court of the Great Khan in Mongolia, where he lived for years before being allowed to return as a vassal ruler. This episode follows his extraordinary journey—from the gilded cages of Karakorum to a desperate rebellion alongside the Byzantine Empire. We explore how David's desperate gamble against Ilkhanate rule collapsed at the Battle of Terek in 1262, and…
The Arab Emirate of Tbilisi: Georgia Under the Caliphate
In this episode of The History of Georgia: Kingdoms Between Great Powers, Lucas and Luna explore the nearly four centuries when Tbilisi was ruled by an Arab emirate, from the 730s conquest by Marwan ibn Muhammad to its liberation by David the Builder in 1122. They discuss the Battle of Anakopia (736), where Georgian and Abkhazian forces repelled the Caliphate's army, the establishment of the Emirate and its walls, the cultural and religious coexistence under Muslim rule, and how this period…
The 1832 Conspiracy: Georgia's Last Plot to Restore the Kingdom
In 1832, just three decades after the Russian Empire annexed the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, a group of Georgian nobles, princes, and intellectuals hatched a secret plot to overthrow Tsarist rule and restore the Bagratid monarchy. Led by Prince Elizbar Eristavi and the poet Solomon Dodashvili, the conspirators planned a nationwide uprising timed to coincide with a Russian military campaign against the Ottoman Empire. But the plot was betrayed from within, and its leaders were arrested, exiled…
King Solomon I of Imereti Abolishes the Slave Trade
In this episode, Lucas and Luna turn their attention to western Georgia and the Kingdom of Imereti, which has often been overshadowed by its eastern neighbors. The spotlight falls on King Solomon I, who ruled from 1752 to 1784. Facing relentless Ottoman pressure and the scourge of slave raids that devastated his realm, Solomon took a radical step: he criminalized the slave trade within Imereti, defying the economic interests of powerful nobles and the Ottoman Empire. The conversation explores…
George V the Brilliant: Reuniting Georgia After the Mongols
After decades of Mongol domination and civil war, Georgia's King George V the Brilliant (Giorgi V Brtsqinvale) restored the kingdom's unity and prestige in the early 14th century. This episode explores his rise amid the crumbling Ilkhanate, his diplomatic marriages into the Byzantine and Trebizond courts, and his military campaigns to bring breakaway regions of Imereti and Samtskhe back under the Bagrationi crown. We also look at his legal reforms, including the Code of George V that…
Georgia Under the Mongols: Queen Rusudan's Lost Kingdom
After the golden age of Queen Tamar, Georgia faced its greatest test: the Mongol invasions. This episode follows the reign of Tamar's daughter, Queen Rusudan, as she navigates the collapse of the kingdom under the onslaught of Genghis Khan's generals. We explore the brutal sieges, the geopolitical maneuvering between Mongols, Seljuks, and Crusaders, and the tragic fate of Rusudan's children. Lucas and Luna discuss how the Mongols reshaped Georgia's political landscape, splitting the kingdom…
Shota Rustaveli and the Knight in the Panther's Skin
In this episode, we explore the life and legacy of Georgia's national poet, Shota Rustaveli, and his epic poem 'The Knight in the Panther's Skin' (Vepkhistqaosani). Written during the reign of Queen Tamar in the 12th century, this masterpiece of medieval literature weaves a tale of chivalry, friendship, and love set against a fantastical backdrop. We discuss Rustaveli's possible role as a state treasurer, the poem's Persian and Byzantine influences, its unique use of the Georgian shairi meter…
Georgia's Last King: George XII and the Russian Annexation of 1801
After the death of King Erekle II, his son George XII inherited a kingdom squeezed between Persia and Russia. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the final chapter of the Bagratid monarchy in Kartli-Kakheti. They follow George XII's desperate appeals to Tsar Paul I for protection, the shadowy diplomacy in St. Petersburg, and the cold proclamation that dissolved a thousand-year-old dynasty. Along the way, they discuss the failed regency of David Bagrationi, the role of Russian general…
Saint Nino and the Christian Conversion of Georgia
This episode dives into the remarkable story of Saint Nino, a 4th-century Roman slave woman who is credited with converting the kingdom of Iberia (eastern Georgia) to Christianity. We explore her arrival in Mtskheta, her healing of Queen Nana, the conversion of King Mirian III, and the subsequent baptism of the nation. We also discuss the construction of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the significance of the grapevine cross. Along the way, we touch on the early Georgian church, the spread of…
Vakhtang I Gorgasali and the Founding of Tbilisi
Long before the unified kingdom of Sakartvelo, a 5th-century monarch named Vakhtang I Gorgasali—'Wolf-Head' in Persian—fought to hold back the Sasanian Empire while laying the foundations of a new capital. This episode explores his military campaigns, his complex relationship with the Byzantine Empire, and the legend that he founded Tbilisi on the site of a hot spring discovered while hunting. We examine the historical evidence behind the founding, the city's strategic role in the Caucasus, and…
Georgia's King Erekle II and the Rise of the Modern Georgian Army
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the military reforms of King Erekle II of Kartli-Kakheti in the late 18th century. Facing threats from the Ottoman Empire, Qajar Persia, and Dagestani raiders, Erekle restructured the Georgian army, creating a professional standing force called the morige army. They discuss the 1751 Battle of Kirbulakh, where Erekle's new army defeated a much larger Ottoman-Qizilbash force, and the 1752 Battle of Khresili, where he fought alongside his…
Georgia's King Constantine II and the Last Crusade
In 1463, the fall of Constantinople sent shockwaves through the Caucasus. For Georgia's King Constantine II, the collapse of Byzantium meant more than a lost ally—it meant facing the Ottoman Empire alone. This episode explores Constantine's desperate diplomacy, his attempt to rally Europe for a crusade that never came, and the internal fractures that left the Kingdom of Georgia divided among rival branches of the Bagrationi family. We trace his letters to the Pope, his negotiations with the Ak…
Georgia's King Luarsab I and the 1556 Battle of Garisi
In the 1550s, the small Kingdom of Kartli stood between two empires: the Ottoman and the Safavid. King Luarsab I, a Bagrationi monarch known as 'the Saint,' chose defiance over submission. At the Battle of Garisi in 1556, he faced a massive Safavid army led by Shah Tahmasp's general. Luarsab was killed, but his sacrifice became a legend. This episode unpacks the geopolitical chess game of the Caucasus, the Safavid-Ottoman rivalry, and how a single battle reshaped Georgia's resistance. We…
Georgia's King David the Builder and the Qipchaq Alliance Revisited
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the controversial and strategic Qipchaq resettlement under Georgia's King David IV in the early 12th century. They discuss how David brought thousands of Qipchaq warriors and their families into Georgia to bolster his army against the Seljuk Turks, integrating them through marriage, land grants, and baptism. The conversation covers the challenges of assimilation, the formation of the monaspa (royal guard), and the lasting impact on Georgian society and…
Georgia's King Bagrat V: The Brilliant General and the Timurid Invasions
In the late 14th century, Georgia faced its most devastating threat yet: the Central Asian conqueror Timur, known in the West as Tamerlane. This episode follows King Bagrat V the Brilliant, a military leader who tried to outmaneuver Timur through shifting alliances and strategic warfare. We explore Bagrat's imprisonment and release, the siege and fall of Tbilisi, and the dramatic guerrilla resistance in the mountains. The episode also examines how Georgia's feudal disunity under the Bagrationi…
Georgia's King Tamar and the Battle of Shamkor in 1195
In this episode, Lucas and Luna revisit the reign of Queen Tamar of Georgia, focusing on the 1195 Battle of Shamkor against the Eldiguzid atabeg Abu Bakr. They explore how Tamar's leadership, her military reforms, and the role of the monaspa—the elite royal guard—secured a decisive victory that expanded Georgian influence into Armenia and Azerbaijan. The conversation also touches on the controversial marriage to Yuri Bogolyubsky, the political maneuvering of the Georgian nobility, and the…
Georgia's Queen Tamar: The Iron Warrior-Monarch
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Georgia's legendary Queen Tamar the Great (ruled 1184–1213), the first woman to rule Sakartvelo in her own right. They discuss Tamar's accession after her father Giorgi III, the initial opposition from the nobility, and her decisive military campaigns against the Eldiguzid Atabegs and the Sultanate of Rum. The conversation covers the Battle of Shamkor in 1195, the Battle of Basiani in 1203, and Tamar's expansion of the kingdom to its medieval…
Georgia's King David the Builder and the Qipchaq Alliance
In this episode of The History of Georgia, Lucas and Luna explore one of the most daring military reforms of the medieval Caucasus: King David IV's decision to resettle tens of thousands of Qipchaq nomads in Georgia. After the devastating Seljuk invasions, David the Builder invited these steppe warriors to become the backbone of a new army, granting them land, integrating them into Georgian society, and forging the elite Monaspa guard. We trace the journey of the Qipchaq from the Volga steppes…
Georgia's King Teimuraz II and the 1744 Battle of Ksani Bridge
In the mid-18th century, the Caucasus was squeezed between two rising empires: Ottoman Turkey and Safavid Persia. For the fragmented kingdoms of Georgia, survival required careful diplomacy and military strength. This episode focuses on King Teimuraz II of Kartli and his son Erekle II of Kakheti, who together fought to restore a unified Georgian state. We explore the 1744 Battle of Ksani Bridge, where Georgian forces loyal to Teimuraz and Erekle defeated a rival faction backed by Persia, and…
Georgia's King Teimuraz I and the Persian Captivity
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the tragic life of King Teimuraz I of Kakheti, a poet-king who spent nearly half his reign as a hostage in the Safavid Persian court. They delve into his early years in Isfahan, his exposure to Persian poetry and art, and how that shaped his Persian-influenced Georgian verse. They also examine the political turmoil of 17th-century Georgia, caught between Safavid Persia and the Ottoman Empire, and Teimuraz's son, the martyr-king Ketevan. The episode covers…
Georgia's King Bagrat IV and the 11th-Century Struggle for Unity
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Bagrat IV of Georgia (r. 1027–1072), a king who fought to hold the Bagrationi realm together amid Byzantine and Seljuk pressure, aristocratic revolts, and the shadow of his own father's failures. They discuss the battle of Sasireti (1042), where Bagrat's son Giorgi rebelled; the role of the eristavi; the loss of Tao to Byzantium; and the rise of the Kldekari dukes. The episode ends with the Seljuk threat looming and the legacy of a king who…
Georgia's King Vakhtang VI and the 1705 Persian Siege of Tbilisi
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable story of King Vakhtang VI of Kartli, a Bagrationi monarch who ruled during the twilight of Safavid Persian dominance in the Caucasus. Vakhtang VI is not just a ruler but a scholar, law-giver, and the compiler of the Dasturlamali, an administrative code that systematized Georgian governance under Persian suzerainty. The episode delves into the 1705 Persian siege of Tbilisi, where Vakhtang's brother George XI led a desperate defense against…
Georgia's King David IV and the Qipchaq Resettlement
In the early 12th century, Georgia faced a crisis: its population was decimated by centuries of war, and its armies were too small to defend against Seljuk raids. King David IV, known as David the Builder, made a controversial decision—he invited tens of thousands of Qipchaq nomads from the North Caucasus steppes to resettle in Georgia. In exchange for land and military service, the Qipchaqs became the backbone of a reformed army that would crush the Seljuks at the 1121 Battle of Didgori. This…
Georgia's King Ashot I and the Bagratid Renaissance
In this episode, we explore the reign of Ashot I Kuropalates, the first Bagrationi king of Georgia, who laid the foundations for the medieval Georgian kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti. We discuss his rise from a refugee fleeing the Dariali Gorge to a powerful ruler who rebuilt churches, cultivated Byzantine alliances, and defended against the Abbasid Caliphate. The episode delves into the controversial 'Princely Martyrdom' of Ashot, his legacy in the Georgian Chronicles, and the archaeological…
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