189–216 AD: The Founder of the Arsacid Dynasty and the Secret Sympathizer

When King Amazasp II fell in battle against the rebel coalition in AD 189, the Pharnavazid dynasty fell with him. The victors—the rebellious Georgian nobles—did not crown one of their own. Instead, they looked south to their allies, the Armenians, and invited the son of the Armenian King Vologases II (Valarsh II) to take the throne. His name was Rev.

History is usually unkind to foreign kings installed by conquest. They are often remembered as tyrants or puppets. Yet, Rev I earned a title that few native kings ever achieved: “The Just” (Martali). His reign marks the beginning of the Iberian Arsacid Dynasty, a branch of the great Parthian royal house, but Rev proved that his loyalty belonged solely to his new kingdom.

The Outsider Who Became a Father

Rev inherited a country torn apart by civil war and Alan invasions. His first task was stabilization. He married a Greek princess named Sephelia, signaling a balance between his Eastern (Parthian/Armenian) heritage and the Western (Roman/Greek) cultural sphere.

Unlike previous kings who forced foreign idols on the people (like Parnajom), Rev I showed immense respect for Georgian traditions. He patronized the cults of Armazi and Zaden but ruled with a fairness that won over the skeptical nobility. He reorganized the army, drove back the northern raiders, and restored the trade routes that had crumbled during the chaos of the previous years.

The Christian Legend

The most fascinating aspect of Rev’s reign is a persistent legend recorded in the medieval chronicles Moktsevay Kartlisay (Conversion of Kartli). Although Georgia would not officially adopt Christianity for another century (under Mirian III), the chronicles state that Rev I was sympathetic to the new faith.

It is said that his wife, Queen Sephelia, brought a statue of Aphrodite with her, but Rev was intrigued by the stories of the “New God” coming from the south. While he remained a pagan king, tradition holds that he prohibited the practice of human sacrifice, which was sometimes associated with the darker rites of the ancient idols. This moral stance earned him the epithet “The Just.” He stands as a transitional figure—a pagan king with a Christian conscience.

Tourism Guide: The Arsacid Legacy

While physical monuments from Rev’s specific reign are hard to identify due to later construction, the landscape of his rule is accessible:

  1. Urbnisi: This ancient city flourished under the Arsacids. Today, you can visit the archaeological site and the later cathedral. In Rev’s time, this was a major urban center where Jewish communities settled, bringing with them the first whispers of biblical teachings that might have influenced the King.
  2. Mtskheta City Walls: Rev I continued the fortification of the capital. Walking the perimeter of the ancient acropolis gives you a sense of the defensive shell he maintained to keep the peace.