Lazic War

The Lazic War or Colchic War, also known as the Great War of Egrisi (Georgian: ეგრისის დიდი ომი, Egrisis Didi Omi) in Georgian historiography, was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Empire for control of the ancient Georgian region of Lazica. The Lazic War lasted for twenty years, from 541 to 562, with varying success and ended in a relative victory for the Byzantines, who kept their control of the country. The Lazic War is narrated in detail in the works of Procopius of Caesarea and Agathias.

Description
Lazica, situated on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, and controlling important mountain passes across the Caucasus and to the Caspian Sea, had a key strategic importance for both empires. For Byzantines, it was a barrier against a Persian advance through Iberia to the coasts of the Black Sea. Persians on the other side hoped to gain access to the sea, and control a territory from which Iberia, which was by now under their firm domination, could be threatened.

The Persian Sassanids recognized Lazica (Egrisi) as part of the Byzantine sphere of influence by the "Eternal Peace" Treaty of 532. By that time, in order to foster their influence over the local monarchy, the Byzantines had insisted on the conversion of the King, Tzath I: he received both baptism and royal attributes in Constantinople, from Emperor Justinian I, in 523. Byzantine garrisons were stationed in Lazica, mostly in the coastal cities of Poti, Tskhumi and Pitsunda. The kingdom's capital, Archaeopolis, was fortified, as well as the southern access to the kingdom on the coastal road at Petra (present-day Tsikhisdziri, north of Batumi). Quick enough, the Byzantine presence turned into a full protectorate, as the king lost many powers to the magister militum (commander of the stationed troops) John Tzibus. When Tzibus curtailed the freedom of trade of Lazic tradesmen to advance Byzantine interests, the popular dissatisfaction led to a full-scale uprising in 541, and the weakened king, Gubazes II secretly sought Persian assistance against the Byzantines.

Those calls were answered that year by the Persian king Khosrau I, who entered Lazica, captured the Byzantine main stronghold of Petra, and established another protectorate over the country.

However, the Shah’s attempt to establish a direct Persian control over the country and the missionary zeal of the Zoroastrian priests soon caused discontent in Christian Lazica and King Gubazes revolted in 548, this time against the Persians. Gubazes II requested aid from Emperor Justinian I and brought Alans and Sabirs to an alliance. Justinian sent 7,000 Roman and 1,000 Tzani (relatives of the Lazs) auxiliaries under Dagisthaeus to assist Gubazes, and invested the Petra fortress. Persian reinforcements under Mihr-Mihroe defeated a small Byzantine force guarding the mountain passes and relieved the besieged Petra. Mihr-Mihroe garrisoned 3,000 men in the fortress and marched to Armenia leaving 5,000 soldiers to plunder Lazica. This force was destroyed by Dagisthaeus at the Phasis river in 549. The next Persian offensive also proved to be unsuccessful with the commander Chorianes killed in a decisive battle at the river Hippis (now the Tskhenistskali). The new Byzantine commander Bessas quelled a pro-Persian revolt of the Abasgi tribe, took Petra and defeated Mihr-Mihroe at Archaeopolis in 551. However, the latter managed to capture the town Kutatisi and the Uchimerion fortress blocking the important roads to the mountains. In the summer of 555, he won an impressive victory at Telephis and forced the Byzantine-Lazic forces to retreat to Nesos.

After the death of Mihr-Mihroe, Nachoragan was appointed the Persian commander-in-chief in 555. He repulsed the Byzantine attack on the Persian positions at Onoguris and forced the enemy out of Archaeopolis, a city which Mihr-Mihroe had twice tried and failed to take. These defeats caused a bitter feud between the Lazic and Byzantine generals. King Gubazes quarreled with Byzantine commanders Bessas, Martin, and Rusticus, complaining to emperor Justinian. Bessas was recalled, but Rusticus and his brother John eventually murdered Gubazes. The Lazi people got the Emperor to nominate Tzathes, the younger brother of Gubazes, as their new king, and Senator Athanasius investigated the assassination. Rusticus and John were arrested, tried, and executed. In 556, the allies retook Archaeopolis and routed the Persian general Nachoragan in his abortive attack on Phasis. In the autumn and winter of the same year, the Byzantines suppressed a rebellion staged by the mountain tribe of the Misimians, and finally expelled the Persians from the country.

Then, in 557, a truce ended the hostilities between the Byzantines and Persians, and by the "Fifty Years Peace" of Dara of 562, Khosrau I recognized Lazica as a Byzantine vassal state for an annual payment of gold.