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{{short description|1st century AD ruler of the Kingdom of Armenia}} |
{{short description|1st century AD ruler of the Kingdom of Armenia}} |
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{{Infobox royalty |
{{Infobox royalty |
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| name= Rhadamistus |
| name = Rhadamistus |
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| succession= [[List of Armenian kings|King of Armenia]] |
| succession = [[List of Armenian kings|King of Armenia]] |
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| image= Rhadamistus, by Francesco Alberi.jpg |
| image = Rhadamistus, by Francesco Alberi.jpg |
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| image_size= 260px |
| image_size = 260px |
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| caption= Rhadamistus by [[Francesco Alberi]] |
| caption = Rhadamistus by [[Francesco Alberi]] |
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| reign= 51–53 <br>54–55 |
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| father = [[Pharasmanes I of Iberia]] |
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| birth_place = [[Kingdom of Iberia]] |
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| death_date = 58 |
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| birth_place= [[Kingdom of Iberia (antiquity)|Kingdom of Iberia]] |
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| religion = |
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| reign-type1 = 1st Reign |
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| reign1 = 51–53 |
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| predecessor1 = [[Mithridates of Armenia|Mithridates]] |
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| religion= |
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| reign-type2 = 2nd Reign |
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⚫ | '''Rhadamistus''' ({{lang-ka|რადამისტი, radamist'i |
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| reign2 = 54–55 |
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| predecessor2 = [[Tiridates I of Armenia|Tiridates I]] |
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⚫ | '''Rhadamistus''' ({{lang-ka|რადამისტი, radamist'i}}) (died 58) was a royal prince of the [[Pharnavazid dynasty]]<ref>Toumanoff, p. 11</ref> of the [[Kingdom of Iberia (antiquity)|Kingdom of Iberia]] who reigned over the [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Kingdom of Armenia]] from 51 to 53 and 54 to 55. He was considered a [[usurper]] and [[tyrant]], who was overthrown in a rebellion supported by the [[Parthian Empire]].<ref>Crévier, p. 286</ref><ref>Tomlins, p. 735</ref> |
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==Life== |
==Life== |
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Rhadamistus was the eldest son of King [[Pharasmanes I of Iberia]].<ref>Crévier, p. 280</ref><ref>Toumanoff, p. 12</ref><ref>Javakhishvili, p. 159</ref> His mother was an unknown [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Armenian]] princess of the [[ |
Rhadamistus was the eldest son of King [[Pharasmanes I of Iberia]].<ref>Crévier, p. 280</ref><ref>Toumanoff, p. 12</ref><ref>Javakhishvili, p. 159</ref> His mother was an unknown [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Armenian]] princess of the [[Artaxiad dynasty]], who was the daughter of the Artaxiad Armenian monarchs [[Tigranes IV]] and his sister-wife [[Erato of Armenia|Erato]]. Rhadamistus was known for his ambition, valor, extraordinary strength and size of body, and good looks. Although the [[Kingdom of Iberia]] was too small to satisfy him on its own, he was nonetheless openly impatient to inherit it from his aging father. Pharasmanes, fearing an attempt to usurp the throne, diverted Rhadamistus by convincing him to conquer the [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Kingdom of Armenia]], then ruled by Pharasmanes' brother [[Mithridates of Armenia|Mithridates]].<ref>Crévier, pp. 280-281</ref> To conduct reconnaissance, Rhadamistus pretended that he was at feud with his father and stepmother and went to the court of Mithridates, who received him like a son and with an excessive kindness.<ref>Tacitus, XII, 44</ref> Rhadamistus completed his inspection, declared that he had reconciled with his father, and returned to Iberia to set war plans in motion. Meanwhile Pharasmanes had invented a pretext for war: when he was fighting with the king of the [[Caucasian Albania|Caucasian Albanians]] and appealing to the Romans for help, his brother had opposed him, and the conflict was to be called revenge for that opposition. |
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Pharasmanes gave his son a large Iberian army, who by a [[War |
Pharasmanes gave his son a large Iberian army, who by a [[Iberian–Armenian War|sudden invasion]] forced Mithridates to take shelter in the fortress of [[Garni|Gorneas]], which was strongly garrisoned by the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] under the command of Caelius Pollio.<ref>Tacitus, XII, 45</ref><ref>Crévier, p. 282</ref> Rhadamistus opened negotiations with his uncle, claiming to be kindly disposed towards him because of their ties of blood and because of his marriage to Mithridates' daughter [[Zenobia of Armenia|Zenobia]]. Adding that the Iberians were not against peace, he urged Mithridates to show respect to the seniority of Pharasmanes and agree to a treaty. Pharasmanes by secret messages had told Rhadamistus to hurry on the siege by all possible means.<ref>Javakhishvili, p. 160</ref> |
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Later, Pollio, swayed by Rhadamistus' bribery, |
Later, Pollio, swayed by Rhadamistus' bribery, threatened that the Roman garrison might abandon the fortress. Under this compulsion, Mithridates agreed to surrender to his nephew.<ref>Bunson, p. 372</ref><ref>Tacitus, XII, 46</ref> Still treating his uncle with feigned respect, Rhadamistus promised that he would do him no harm either by the sword or by poison.<ref>Tomlins, p. 568</ref> He drew him into a neighboring woods, ostensibly to conduct a ritual sealing their alliance,<ref>Crévier, p. 283</ref> then arrested him and bound him in chains. Mindful of his promise not to use a sword or poison, Rhadamistus had Mithridates smothered to death instead.<ref>Crévier, p. 284</ref> Later he also killed the sons of Mithridates, for having shed tears over their father's death,<ref>Cantù, p. 405</ref><ref>Tacitus, XII, 47</ref> and Mithridates' wife, who was Rhadamistus' own sister.<ref>Rawlinson, XVI, p. 1</ref> |
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⚫ | Rhadamistus became King of Armenia in 51. The Romans made a symbolic demand that Pharasmanes withdraw from Armenian territory and remove his son, but officially they had chosen not to aid their Armenian allies; one councilor declared that "any crime in a foreign country was to be welcomed with joy".<ref>Crévier, p. 285</ref><ref>Javakhishvili, p. 161</ref><ref>Tacitus, XII, 48</ref> Despite this, the Roman governor of [[Cappadocia]], Paelignus, invaded Armenia and ravaged the country. [[Gaius Ummidius Durmius Quadratus]], [[List of Roman governors of Syria|governor of Syria]], sent a force to restore order, but was recalled so as not to provoke a war with [[Parthia]]. Consequently, King [[Vologases I of Parthia|Vologases I]], having recently ascended the Parthian throne, saw an opportunity to detach Armenia from the dominion of Rome and add it to his own, thus advancing his reputation and providing a principality for his brother Tiridates. He sent his large army into Armenia in 51,<ref>Bunson, p. 544</ref> driving out the Iberians in 53.<ref>Rawlinson, p. 272</ref> Rhadamistus regained control after an outbreak of [[Plague (disease)|plague]] forced the Parthians to withdraw.<ref>Tacitus, XII, 50</ref><ref>Rawlinson, XVI, p. 2</ref> He now viewed the Armenians' loyalty as permanently suspect,<ref>Crévier, pp. 286-287</ref><ref>Tomlins, p. 569</ref> and began punishing cities that had surrendered to the Parthians, eventually provoking a revolt which replaced him with the Parthian prince [[Tiridates I of Armenia|Tiridates I]] in 55.<ref>Suny, p. 14</ref> |
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But on this occasion the one who was applying the knot pretended that it had fallen off, and suddenly seized the knees of Mithridates flinging him to the ground. At the same moment a rush was made by others, and chains were thrown around him. Rhadamistus was mindful of his promise so he neither unsheathed the sword nor used any poison against his uncle to kill him, but instead had him thrown on the ground and then smothered his uncle under a mass of heavy clothes and [[featherbed]]s.<ref>Crévier, p. 284</ref> Later the sons of Mithridates were also butchered by Rhadamistus for having shed tears over their parent's death.<ref>Cantù, p. 405</ref><ref>Tacitus, XII, 47</ref> Rhadamistus also killed Mithridates' wife, who was his own sister.<ref>Rawlinson, XVI, p. 1</ref> |
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Rhadamistus escaped back to Iberia. His wife Zenobia accompanied him for the first part of the journey, but she was pregnant and unable to bear a long ride on horseback. Rather than impede the escape, or be left behind and captured, she told her husband to kill her. Impressed by Zenobia's bravery, Rhadamistus consented, stabbing her and dropping her in the river Araxes.<ref>Crévier, p. 287</ref> She survived her wounds and was rescued by peasants, who sent her to [[Artaxata]].<ref>Cantù, p. 406</ref><ref>Tacitus, XII, 51</ref> Upon his return to his father's domains in 58, Rhadamistus was executed for treason,<ref>Toumanoff, p. 14</ref> ending Pharasmanes' fears of usurpation and demonstrating Iberian loyalty to Rome,<ref>Javakhishvili, p. 161, § 5</ref><ref>Tacitus, XIII, 37</ref> and in particular to Emperor [[Nero]].<ref>Crévier, p. 288</ref><ref>Bunson, p. 465</ref> Pharasmanes died later in the same year and was succeeded by his second son [[Mihrdat I|Mihrdat]], brother of Rhadamistus.<ref>Toumanoff, p. 101</ref><ref>Javakhishvili, p. 161, § 6</ref> |
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⚫ | Rhadamistus became King of Armenia in 51. |
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Rhadamistus escaped along with his pregnant wife, Zenobia. Unable to bear a long ride on horse, out of fear of the enemy and love of her husband, she convinced Rhadamistus to kill her with the honourable death to avoid the shame of captivity from their pursuers. Rhadamistus embraced, cheered, and encouraged her wife, admiring her heroism, he unsheathed his scymitar, stabbed her, dragged her to the bank of the [[Aras River]] and committed her to the river stream, so that her body might be swept away. Then in headlong flight he hurried to Iberia, his ancestral kingdom.<ref>Crévier, p. 287</ref> Zenobia meanwhile as she yet breathed and showed signs of life on the calm water at the river's edge, was found by some [[shepherd]]s, who inferring from her noble appearance and that she was no base-born woman, bound up her wound and applied to it their rustic remedies. When they found out her name and her adventure, they conveyed her to the city of Artaxata to King Tiridates, who received her kindly and treated her as a royal person.<ref>Cantù, p. 406</ref><ref>Tacitus, XII, 51</ref> Rhadamistus himself returning home to Iberia was soon, in 58,<ref>Toumanoff, p. 14</ref> put to death as traitor who had plotted against the royal power by his own father who wanted to prove his loyalty to Rome,<ref>Javakhishvili, p. 161, § 5</ref><ref>Tacitus, XIII, 37</ref> and in particular to Emperor [[Nero]].<ref>Crévier, p. 288</ref><ref>Bunson, p. 465</ref> Pharasmanes died later in the same year as well and he was succeeded by his second son and brother of Rhadamistus, [[Mihrdat I of Iberia|Mihrdat]], who became a new king of Iberia.<ref>Toumanoff, p. 101</ref><ref>Javakhishvili, p. 161, § 6</ref> |
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==In art== |
==In art== |
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*"Radamisto uccide Zenobia" by [[Luigi Sabatelli]] (1803). |
*"Radamisto uccide Zenobia" by [[Luigi Sabatelli]] (1803). |
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*"Rhadamistes and Zenobia" by [[Jean-Joseph Taillasson]]. |
*"Rhadamistes and Zenobia" by [[Jean-Joseph Taillasson]]. |
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*"[[Shepherds Find Zenobia on the Banks of the Araxes]]" by [[William Bouguereau]] (1850) |
*"[[Shepherds Find Zenobia on the Banks of the Araxes]]" by [[William-Adolphe Bouguereau]] (1850) |
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*"Radamisto in atto di spingere Zenobia ferita nel fiume Arasse" by [[Francesco Alberi]]. |
*"Radamisto in atto di spingere Zenobia ferita nel fiume Arasse" by [[Francesco Alberi]]. |
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*"Queen Zenobia Thrown Into the Araxes River" by François-Nicolas Chifflart. |
*"Queen Zenobia Thrown Into the Araxes River" by François-Nicolas Chifflart. |
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*"[[Radamisto (Handel)|Radamisto]]" by [[George Frideric Handel]] (1720). |
*"[[Radamisto (Handel)|Radamisto]]" by [[George Frideric Handel]] (1720). |
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*"Radamisto" by [[Nicola Francesco Haym]]. |
*"Radamisto" by [[Nicola Francesco Haym]]. |
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*[[Senesino]] was first to play Rhadamistus. |
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===Plays=== |
===Plays=== |
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File:Rhadamistes and Zenobia by TAILLASSON, Jean-Joseph 1806.jpg|''Rhadamistes and Zenobia'' by<br /> [[Jean-Joseph Taillasson]] |
File:Rhadamistes and Zenobia by TAILLASSON, Jean-Joseph 1806.jpg|''Rhadamistes and Zenobia'' by<br /> [[Jean-Joseph Taillasson]] |
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File:Queen Zenobia Thrown Into the Araxes River by François-Nicolas Chifflart.jpg|Rhadamistus in ''Queen Zenobia Thrown Into the Araxes River'' by<br /> [[François Chifflart]] |
File:Queen Zenobia Thrown Into the Araxes River by François-Nicolas Chifflart.jpg|Rhadamistus in ''Queen Zenobia Thrown Into the Araxes River'' by<br /> [[François Chifflart]] |
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File:Metastasio - Zenobia - Herissant Vol.06 - Paris 1780.png|Rhadamistus from the opera of [[Metastasio]] |
File:Metastasio - Zenobia - Herissant Vol.06 - Paris 1780.png|Rhadamistus from the opera of [[Pietro Metastasio]] |
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</gallery> |
</gallery> |
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Latest revision as of 16:20, 20 May 2024
Rhadamistus | |
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King of Armenia | |
1st Reign | 51–53 |
Predecessor | Mithridates |
Successor | Tiridates I |
2nd Reign | 54–55 |
Predecessor | Tiridates I |
Successor | Tiridates I |
Born | Kingdom of Iberia |
Died | 58 Kingdom of Iberia |
Spouse | Zenobia |
Issue | unknown son |
Dynasty | Pharnavazid dynasty |
Father | Pharasmanes I of Iberia |
Mother | daughter of Tigranes IV |
Rhadamistus (Georgian: რადამისტი, radamist'i) (died 58) was a royal prince of the Pharnavazid dynasty[1] of the Kingdom of Iberia who reigned over the Kingdom of Armenia from 51 to 53 and 54 to 55. He was considered a usurper and tyrant, who was overthrown in a rebellion supported by the Parthian Empire.[2][3]
Life
[edit]Rhadamistus was the eldest son of King Pharasmanes I of Iberia.[4][5][6] His mother was an unknown Armenian princess of the Artaxiad dynasty, who was the daughter of the Artaxiad Armenian monarchs Tigranes IV and his sister-wife Erato. Rhadamistus was known for his ambition, valor, extraordinary strength and size of body, and good looks. Although the Kingdom of Iberia was too small to satisfy him on its own, he was nonetheless openly impatient to inherit it from his aging father. Pharasmanes, fearing an attempt to usurp the throne, diverted Rhadamistus by convincing him to conquer the Kingdom of Armenia, then ruled by Pharasmanes' brother Mithridates.[7] To conduct reconnaissance, Rhadamistus pretended that he was at feud with his father and stepmother and went to the court of Mithridates, who received him like a son and with an excessive kindness.[8] Rhadamistus completed his inspection, declared that he had reconciled with his father, and returned to Iberia to set war plans in motion. Meanwhile Pharasmanes had invented a pretext for war: when he was fighting with the king of the Caucasian Albanians and appealing to the Romans for help, his brother had opposed him, and the conflict was to be called revenge for that opposition.
Pharasmanes gave his son a large Iberian army, who by a sudden invasion forced Mithridates to take shelter in the fortress of Gorneas, which was strongly garrisoned by the Romans under the command of Caelius Pollio.[9][10] Rhadamistus opened negotiations with his uncle, claiming to be kindly disposed towards him because of their ties of blood and because of his marriage to Mithridates' daughter Zenobia. Adding that the Iberians were not against peace, he urged Mithridates to show respect to the seniority of Pharasmanes and agree to a treaty. Pharasmanes by secret messages had told Rhadamistus to hurry on the siege by all possible means.[11]
Later, Pollio, swayed by Rhadamistus' bribery, threatened that the Roman garrison might abandon the fortress. Under this compulsion, Mithridates agreed to surrender to his nephew.[12][13] Still treating his uncle with feigned respect, Rhadamistus promised that he would do him no harm either by the sword or by poison.[14] He drew him into a neighboring woods, ostensibly to conduct a ritual sealing their alliance,[15] then arrested him and bound him in chains. Mindful of his promise not to use a sword or poison, Rhadamistus had Mithridates smothered to death instead.[16] Later he also killed the sons of Mithridates, for having shed tears over their father's death,[17][18] and Mithridates' wife, who was Rhadamistus' own sister.[19]
Rhadamistus became King of Armenia in 51. The Romans made a symbolic demand that Pharasmanes withdraw from Armenian territory and remove his son, but officially they had chosen not to aid their Armenian allies; one councilor declared that "any crime in a foreign country was to be welcomed with joy".[20][21][22] Despite this, the Roman governor of Cappadocia, Paelignus, invaded Armenia and ravaged the country. Gaius Ummidius Durmius Quadratus, governor of Syria, sent a force to restore order, but was recalled so as not to provoke a war with Parthia. Consequently, King Vologases I, having recently ascended the Parthian throne, saw an opportunity to detach Armenia from the dominion of Rome and add it to his own, thus advancing his reputation and providing a principality for his brother Tiridates. He sent his large army into Armenia in 51,[23] driving out the Iberians in 53.[24] Rhadamistus regained control after an outbreak of plague forced the Parthians to withdraw.[25][26] He now viewed the Armenians' loyalty as permanently suspect,[27][28] and began punishing cities that had surrendered to the Parthians, eventually provoking a revolt which replaced him with the Parthian prince Tiridates I in 55.[29]
Rhadamistus escaped back to Iberia. His wife Zenobia accompanied him for the first part of the journey, but she was pregnant and unable to bear a long ride on horseback. Rather than impede the escape, or be left behind and captured, she told her husband to kill her. Impressed by Zenobia's bravery, Rhadamistus consented, stabbing her and dropping her in the river Araxes.[30] She survived her wounds and was rescued by peasants, who sent her to Artaxata.[31][32] Upon his return to his father's domains in 58, Rhadamistus was executed for treason,[33] ending Pharasmanes' fears of usurpation and demonstrating Iberian loyalty to Rome,[34][35] and in particular to Emperor Nero.[36][37] Pharasmanes died later in the same year and was succeeded by his second son Mihrdat, brother of Rhadamistus.[38][39]
In art
[edit]Paintings
[edit]- "Radamisto uccide Zenobia" by Luigi Sabatelli (1803).
- "Rhadamistes and Zenobia" by Jean-Joseph Taillasson.
- "Shepherds Find Zenobia on the Banks of the Araxes" by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1850)
- "Radamisto in atto di spingere Zenobia ferita nel fiume Arasse" by Francesco Alberi.
- "Queen Zenobia Thrown Into the Araxes River" by François-Nicolas Chifflart.
- "Rhadamiste poignarde sa femme Zénobie" by Etienne Meslier.
Operas
[edit]- "L’Amour tyrannique" by Georges de Scudéry (1638).
- "Zenobia e Radamisto" by Giovanni Legrenzi (1665).
- "Radamisto" by Tomaso Albinoni (1698).
- "L'amor tirannico, o Zenobia" by Domenico Lalli (1710).
- "Rhadamiste et Zénobie" by Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon (1711).
- "Radamisto" by George Frideric Handel (1720).
- "Radamisto" by Nicola Francesco Haym.
Plays
[edit]- Unfinished play "Rodamist i Zenobiya" by Alexander Griboyedov.
Gallery
[edit]-
Rhadamistus killing Zenobia by
Luigi Sabatelli -
Rhadamistes and Zenobia by
Jean-Joseph Taillasson -
Rhadamistus in Queen Zenobia Thrown Into the Araxes River by
François Chifflart -
Rhadamistus from the opera of Pietro Metastasio
References
[edit]- ^ Toumanoff, p. 11
- ^ Crévier, p. 286
- ^ Tomlins, p. 735
- ^ Crévier, p. 280
- ^ Toumanoff, p. 12
- ^ Javakhishvili, p. 159
- ^ Crévier, pp. 280-281
- ^ Tacitus, XII, 44
- ^ Tacitus, XII, 45
- ^ Crévier, p. 282
- ^ Javakhishvili, p. 160
- ^ Bunson, p. 372
- ^ Tacitus, XII, 46
- ^ Tomlins, p. 568
- ^ Crévier, p. 283
- ^ Crévier, p. 284
- ^ Cantù, p. 405
- ^ Tacitus, XII, 47
- ^ Rawlinson, XVI, p. 1
- ^ Crévier, p. 285
- ^ Javakhishvili, p. 161
- ^ Tacitus, XII, 48
- ^ Bunson, p. 544
- ^ Rawlinson, p. 272
- ^ Tacitus, XII, 50
- ^ Rawlinson, XVI, p. 2
- ^ Crévier, pp. 286-287
- ^ Tomlins, p. 569
- ^ Suny, p. 14
- ^ Crévier, p. 287
- ^ Cantù, p. 406
- ^ Tacitus, XII, 51
- ^ Toumanoff, p. 14
- ^ Javakhishvili, p. 161, § 5
- ^ Tacitus, XIII, 37
- ^ Crévier, p. 288
- ^ Bunson, p. 465
- ^ Toumanoff, p. 101
- ^ Javakhishvili, p. 161, § 6
Sources
[edit]- Tacitus, Annals, Book XII-XIII
- Javakhishvili, Ivane (2012), History of the Georgian Nation, Vol. 1
- Crévier, Jean-Baptiste Louis (1814) L'Histoire des empereurs des Romains
- Bunson, Matthew (2009) Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire
- Toumanoff, Cyril (1969), Chronology of the early Kings of Iberia, Vol. 25
- Suny, Grigor Ronald (1994), The Making of the Georgian Nation: 2nd edition, Indiana University Press, ISBN 0-253-20915-3
- Rawlinson, George (2012) The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World
- Cantù, Cesare (1847) Historia universal
- Tomlins, Frederick (1844) A Universal History of the Nations of Antiquity