380–394 AD: The King, the Saint, and the Byzantine Connection

King Aspacures III (Varaz-Bakur II) is a figure who bridges the gap between Georgian royal history and world theology. Ruling in the late 4th century, he was the son of Mihrdat III. His reign continued the struggle against Persian dominance, but his greatest contribution to the world was not a castle or a war—it was a son.

Aspacures III married the daughter of his relative Trdat (who would succeed him). From this union (or perhaps a later marriage to a Roman noblewoman), he fathered Prince Murvan, better known to the world as Peter the Iberian.

The Hostage Prince

To secure peace with the Roman Empire (Byzantium), Aspacures III had to send his young son, Murvan, as a hostage to Constantinople. This was a standard diplomatic practice, but it had unexpected consequences. Murvan grew up in the imperial palace but eventually fled to the Holy Land to become a monk. He became Peter the Iberian, a bishop in Gaza and one of the most influential figures in early Christianity (many scholars believe he authored the famous Corpus Areopagiticum works).

Through his son, King Aspacures III inadvertently linked the Georgian royal house to the highest levels of philosophical and theological thought in the ancient world.

The Persian Yoke

Domestically, Aspacures III faced the suffocating grip of the Sassanids. The Persian Shahs demanded tribute and military service. Aspacures struggled to maintain the Christian character of his court while appeasing his Zoroastrian overlords. He began the construction of the Tsilekani Church, further embedding Christianity into the landscape despite the political pressure.

His reign represents the “Intellectual Golden Age” of the Georgian monarchy’s diaspora, even as the kingdom itself was politically weak.

Tourism Guide: The Path of Peter

While Aspacures ruled from Mtskheta, his legacy is tied to the spiritual sites connected to his son:

  1. Sioni Church of Bolnisi: While built later, the Bolnisi inscriptions mention the “Bishop David,” a disciple of Peter the Iberian. The region of Kvemo Kartli was the cradle of this theological movement.
  2. Mtskheta: Walk the grounds of the royal palace where the young Peter (Murvan) played before being sent to Constantinople. It gives a human dimension to the global story of Georgian sainthood.