361–363 AD: The First Christian Successor and the Persian Revenge

King Saurmag II inherited a kingdom that had just changed its soul. As the son of Mirian III, he was the first King of Iberia to ascend the throne as a Christian. But his faith came with a heavy price tag. The Sassanid Empire of Persia was furious about Georgia’s conversion and alignment with Rome.

Saurmag’s short reign is a story of resistance against a superpower. He ruled during the resurgence of Persia under the terrifying Shapur II the Great, a shah who was determined to crush Rome and its Christian allies.

The Persian Invasion

In 361 AD, Shapur II launched a massive campaign to reclaim the Caucasus. He viewed Christianity as a Roman political tool (which it was). Saurmag II, fiercely pro-Roman, refused to submit to Zoroastrianism or Persian vassalage.

The Persian army was unstoppable. In 363 AD, after the death of the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate, Rome signed a humiliating peace treaty with Persia, effectively abandoning Iberia to its fate. Left alone, Saurmag was overthrown by the Persian army. Shapur II didn’t just remove him; he installed Saurmag’s uncle, Varaz-Bakur (Aspacures II), as a pro-Persian puppet king.

The King in Exile and the Divided Kingdom

Saurmag did not die; he fled to Roman territory. Later, in 370 AD, the Roman Emperor Valens tried to restore him. Rome sent an army and managed to retake the western half of Iberia. For a brief, chaotic period, the kingdom was split: Saurmag II ruled the Roman-backed West (Klarjeti/Mtskheta borders) while the Persian-backed Varaz-Bakur ruled the East.

This division was a tragedy for the nation, foreshadowing the centuries of struggle between empires that would tear Georgia apart. Saurmag represents the difficult reality of being a Christian king on the frontline of the Zoroastrian world.