The Great War of Egrisi (542–562)
The Great War of Egrisi (542–562) was a conflict between Byzantium and Iran fought on the territory of Egrisi. In 541, the Kingdom of Egrisi rebelled against Byzantium and called on the Iranians for help. In 542, the Shah of Iran, Khosrow I, entered Egrisi with a large army. The combined Iranian and Egrisian forces captured Byzantium’s main stronghold – the city of Petra (Modern day Tsikhisdziri village in Georgia.).
However, Iranian domination soon became a burden for the Egrisians, and in 548 they rebelled. Emperor Justinian I sent an army under the command of Dagisthaeus to support the Egrisi. In 549, the Byzantines, Egrisians, and Chanians surrounded Petra but failed to take it. Khosrow I responded by sending another army led by Mermeroes (Mihr-Mihroe), who defeated Dagisthaeus and stationed 3,000 men in Petra.
In 550, the combined Egrisi-Byzantine forces destroyed a 5,000-strong Iranian army. Meanwhile, Dagisthaeus was recalled to Byzantium and replaced by Bessas, who in 551 finally captured the city of Petra.
As Mermeroes marched to reinforce Petra, he changed course and attacked Tsikhegoji (Archeopolis), but was defeated and forced to retreat.
In the summer of 553, Mermeroes returned with a new army and defeated the Egrisi-Byzantine forces near the fortress of Telephis. King Gubaz II blamed the defeat on Byzantine generals, and after they reported him to the emperor, Bessas was punished. Offended by this, the generals Rusticus and John treacherously murdered Gubaz II in 554, sparking outrage among the Egrisians.
The Egrisians demanded that the emperor punish the killers and appoint Tsate, Gubaz’s brother, as king. Justinian I complied and confirmed Tsate II as king. In 555, Khosrow I sent an experienced general, Nachoragan, to command the Iranian forces in Egrisi. He was defeated by the Egrisian and Byzantine forces near Tsikhegoji (Archeopolis) and Phasis.
Following these victories, the Byzantines, under Senator Anastasius, tried and executed Gubaz's murderers (Rusticus and John). In 556, the Iranians were once again defeated in Egrisi. By 558, a ceasefire was established, and hostilities ended in Egrisi.
Finally, in 562, a 50-year peace treaty was signed between Byzantium and Iran, under which Egrisi remained a vassal state of Byzantium.
Sources: აგათია სქოლასტიკოსი, წგ.: გეორგიკა, ს. ყაუხჩიშვილის გამოც., ტ. 3, თბ., 1936; პროკოპი კესარიელი, იქვე, ტ. 2, თბ., 1965.
Literature: გ ო ზ ა ლ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი გ., ბიზანტიასა და ირანს შორის ბრძოლა იბერია-ლაზიკისათვის VI საუკუნეში, «თსუ შრომები», 1944, ტ. 26 B; მ ი ს ი ვ ე, ლაზიკის საგარეო ურთიერთობა მეექვსე საუკუნეში, თბ., 1973; ჯ ა ვ ა ხ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი ივ., ქართველი ერის ისტორია, წგ. 1, თბ., 1979 (თხზ. თორმეტ ტომად, ტ.1); ჯ ა ნ ა შ ი ა ს., ფეოდალური რევოლუცია საქართველოში, შრომები, ტ. 2, თბ., 1952.
N. Lomouri
