The political activities of the Sassanids on the kingdom of Iberia (A.D. 224-502)

The Iberian kingdom, which corresponds to present-day Eastern Georgia, acted as a buffer in the intensified struggles between the Romans and the Sassanids in late antiquity. The Iberian kingdom, which was in the middle of the conflicts, sometimes acted independently and sometimes had to apply a policy of balance between the two powers. Rome's direct contact with Iberia in 65 BC was the beginning of the Roman-Iberian friendship that would last for about 300 years. In addition to its good relations with Rome, the weakening of the Parths due to internal turmoil, allowed the Iberian kingdom to become a powerful kingdom in 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Being on the trade routes of Iberia and hosting strategic passes such as the Darial Passage also increased the importance of the kingdom in late antiquity. The emergence of the Sassanids in 224 deeply affected the political stance of Iberia. In particular, the capture of the Iberian kingdom by Shapur I initiated the Sassanid hegemony that would last for about half a century. However, the Nisibis peace treaty between Rome and the Sassanids in 298 brought Iberia back into Roman orbit. After that, Iberia remained under the rule of Rome for another hundred years. Moreover, Iberia's acceptance of Christianity after 330's further strengthened its relations with Rome. The intensification of the Roman-Sassanid wars in the 4th century resulted in the slow withdrawal of Rome from Iberia towards the end of the century. After that, the Iberian kingdom turned its direction mainly to the Iranian world under the intense pressure of the Sassanids. However, Vakhtang Gorgasali, the last powerful king of late antiquity Iberia, brought the kingdom to the peak of its power for the last time, thanks to the balance policy he followed between 447-502. In this study, which focuses on the political relations of the late antique Iberian kingdom, the policies that Iberia followed between Rome and Sassanids from the foundation of the Sassanids until the death of Vakhtang Gorgasali and the issues affecting these policies were examined.