On the issue of the time of creation of united Egrisi (Lazica) kingdom

Abstract

In the beginning of II century A.D. political situation was sharply changed in the Eastern Black sea area. On the ter­ri­­­tory of  historical Colchis, appe­ared separate political un­­i­ons –“kingdoms” of Mac­ron-Heniokhes’, Lazs’, Absils’, Ab­­azgs’ and San­igs’, which after  the immediate leaving  of pro­v­incial rule of Rome, were setting some political rela­tions with Empire and were getting formal indepe­ndence. At a certain period, the kingdom of Lazica subjugated the rest of the unions and united all of Western Georgia. When did the hegemony of the Laz in Western Georgia to be established? The present paper is an attempt to find answer to the question. From the beginning of 2^nd Century A.D. Laz Kingdom presented as “friend and ally” of Rome. During the reign of Antonius Pius (138-161) the interests of Laz kingdom and Rome became even closer. Pacorum, King of Lazica, was contemporary person of Antonius Pius. He, had been using benevolence of the Romans, expanded the borders of the Laz kingdom to Northwestern, including the contemporary Gagra-Pitsunda sector which was evidenced by a Greek inscription on a silver cup found in the village Achmarda in the Gagra district. The territorial expansion of the Laz kingdom in this direction was supported by Romans and therefore a Roman garrison was introduced to Pitsunda during the reign of Antonius Pius. Thus, in the middle of the second century during the reign of king Pakor, the Lazes, with the consent of the Romans, joined the Unions of the Absiles, Abazges and Saniges and extended the boarders of the kingdom of the Lazes to the north-west to the Akheunt river (modern Shakhe river).