Ammianus Marcellinus

Ammianus Marcellinus (approximately 330–400 AD) was a Roman historian, representative of late antique historiography. He was Greek by birth.

His work Res gestae depicts the history of Rome from 96 to 378 and is a continuation of Histories by Tacitus. Ammianus Marcellinus often had very important, unique information about the South Caucasus, particularly Georgia. His description of the tribes (Kamarites, Laz people, Chalybes, Macrones and others) living in western Georgia (Kolkheti-Lazika), on the southeastern coast of the Black Sea, is interesting. Especially important are the reports that refer to the  political situation contemporary to Ammianus Marcellinus, since he was both a contemporary and a participant in these events (he personally participated in the war against Persia).

His information about the Iberian king Meriban (Mirian), about how the Iranians divided Iberia between Sauromaces (Saurmag) and Aspacures (Aspagur), about the Georgians in the service of Romans — Barzimer and Bacurius the Iberian, is especially valuable.

Literature: გ ა მ ყ რ ე ლ ი ძ ე  ა., ამიანე მარცელინე და მისი ცნობები საქართველოს შესახებ, წგ.: გეორგიკა, ტ. 1, თბ., 1961.

N. Lomouri