Itineraries of the Rulers of Western Georgia in the 9th-10th Centuries

(Based on Examples of the Visits in Kartli, Kakheti, and Hereti)

Abstract

The article discusses individual examples of itineraries of the rulers of Western Georgia, the kings of Abkhazeti (Abkhazia), during the 9^th-10^th centuries to Kartli, Kakheti, and Hereti, according to the accounts of the chronicle “Matʼiane Kartlisa”. In connection with K’onstantine III’s campaign in Hereti the inscription from the Church of St. George in Eredvi have also been considered. I examined the itineraries of the rulers, focusing on important aspects of their travel. For example, considerations regarding the speed of movement of the king and his cortege in the Early Middle Ages are presented. Based on the available information, it can be inferred that for the kings of Abkhazeti, among the roads connecting Kartli and Western Georgia, the route north of the Rikoti Pass (including its branches) was a priority. By evaluating the duration and frequency of stays, we can infer whether the ruler spent more time in the capital or other locations. This analysis also helps identify which royal residence or abode might have been more significant to the king.
The article analyzes data related to K’onstantine III’s campaign into Hereti (which took place some years after the 914 military expedition of Abul Kasim in Georgia), as well as his return. The inscription at the Church of St. George in Eredvi, made immediately after the campaign of K’onstantine III, reveals that King K’onstantine participated in a dawn prayer at Alaverdi and was in the village of Bredza by dusk. This inscription suggests that the king may have also taken part in an evening prayer. The evidence indicates that King K’onstantine traveled from Kakheti’s Alaverdi Monastery to Bredza – located at the start of the road to Western Georgia – in a single day. This journey is presumably one of the fastest recorded for early medieval rulers.
For his campaign into Kakheti and Hereti, and his return, the king likely used a route similar to the modern Jinvali-Tianeti-Akhmeta road. After the siege of the fortress of Vejini, K’onstantine sent the bulk of his army by a different, outer road. This detail indirectly supports Eredvi’s inscription’s account of the king’s swift journey, presumably with a relatively small retinue. The king’s rapid return suggests immediate reasons, such as the need to organize a second campaign into Hereti or to undertake additional measures. However, this journey may also have had symbolic significance. During the campaign against Hereti, after the division of the united country, the ruler of Western Georgia appeared for the first time in the extreme eastern part of Georgia; by traveling from the easternmost part up to the beginning of the road to Western Georgia in a single day, the king seemed to unify the country’s diverse regions. In this respect, the ride might also be understood as a claim to power on the whole territory of the country. Additionally, the king’s travel possibly highlights a religious unity: peace was reportedly established with the ruler of Hereti on Easter Friday, and the King of Abkhazeti and the Chorepiscopus of Kakheti likely made a pilgrimage to Alaverdi Monastery together. The king’s swift journey may have occurred during Easter or shortly thereafter.