9th century. Appearance of the Magyars
In the Black Sea steppes, having recaptured them from the Khazars, nomads from the east broke through – first the Magyars [proto-Hungarians], then the Pechenegs [Kipchaks]. The Zikhs expelled the "Khazars" from all their former lands.
Materials:
History of Adygea. Gubzhokov 2009
913—920 AD. Mentions by Constantine Porphyrogenitus
42. Geography from Thessalonica to the Danube River and the fortress of Belgrade, to Turkiya and Pachinakia, to the Khazar fortress of Sarkel, to Russia and to Nekropil, located on the Pontus Sea, near the Dnieper River, to Cherson together with Bosporus, in which are the fortresses of the Klimata; then – to Lake Maeotis, called a sea because of its size, up to the fortress by the name of Tamatarkha, and to this also to Zikhia, Papagia, Kasakhia, Alania and Abasgia – up to the fortress of Soteriopolis.
Beyond Tamatarkha, in 18 or 20 miles, there is a river by the name of Ukrukh, separating Zikhia and Tamatarkha, and from Ukrukh to the river Nicopsis 1, on which there is a fortress of the same name as the river, extends the country of Zikhia. Its length is 300 miles. Above Zikhia lies the country called Papagia, above the country of Papagia – the country called Kasakhia, above Kasakhia are the Caucasus Mountains 2, and above these mountains – the country of Alania. Along the coast of Zikhia [in the sea] there are islands, one large island and three [small], closer to the shore there are others, used by the Zikhs as pastures and built up by them – these are Turganirch, Tsarvaganin and another island 3. In the bay of Spatala there is another island, in Ptelei – another 4, on which during the raids of the Alans the Zikhs find refuge. The coast from the borders of Zikhia, that is, from the Nicopsis River, constitutes the country of Abasgia – up to the fortress of Soteriopolis. It extends for 300 miles.
Possibly, the Nechepsukho River north of Tuapse. In the early Middle Ages, this area had important military-strategic significance. It is no coincidence that there was a fortress there, beyond which Zikhia began.
Here obviously meant is the Caucasus Range, beyond which (to the north) the possessions of the Alans begin.
This and the following islands have not been identified.
It is not clear which bay is meant. Recently, Yu.N. Voronov proposed a new interpretation of the text of this chapter. If we proceed from the fact that 1 mile = 1481.5 m, then the length of Zikhia, which, according to Constantine, is located between the Ukrukh and Nicopsis rivers, is 445 km, and that of Abasgia is also 445 km, i.e., their total length turns out to be slightly more than the distance from Anapa to Trebizond (about 800 km). Thus, Voronov notes, Nicopsia should be located between modern Gagra and Adler, and Soteriopolis – not in the Sukhumi – Pitsunda sector (as Yu. Kulakovsky, Z. Anchabadze and others believed), but in the Trebizond area. Thus, the borders of Abasgia in the 10th century, according to Constantine, extended as far as Trebizond. Nicopsia is presumably identified with the city of Nafsay, known from the "Life of Abo Tbileli," localized in the area of modern Gantiadi (Tsandripsh). (See Voronov Yu.N. On the localization of Nicopsia // XV Krupnov Readings on the Archaeology of the North Caucasus: abstracts of reports. Makhachkala, 1988, pp. 72-73)
Materials:
Constantine Porphyrogenitus. On the Administration of the Empire
George II (929–960 AD)
"The great and God-Beloved King," thus the Georgian chronicle extols the Abkhazian sovereign. During his reign, the Abkhazian Kingdom reached military-political power and cultural flourishing. George continued the cultural expansion to the North Caucasus, where churches representing the Abkhazian architectural school were built. During his reign, on the northern side of the Caucasus Range, the area of settlement of the northern Abkhazians took shape, who in 923, under the leadership of Prince Ber, invaded Armenia.
George II appointed his son Constantine as governor of Kartli. However, having strengthened himself in this area and incited by local feudal lords, after 3 years Constantine entered into a conspiracy with the Kartlian nobility and decided to carry out a coup. Having uncovered his son's conspiracy, George marched with an army against Kartli and besieged Uplistsikhe, in which the rebellious son had locked himself. After a long siege of the fortress-residence, George managed to lure Constantine out with deceptive promises. He blinded and castrated his schismatic son. Having pacified Kartli, George placed his other son, Leon, there.
George II marched twice on Kakheti and devastated the rebellious Georgian region. He also waged a constant struggle to strengthen his influence on Tao-Klarjeti. To achieve these goals, he gave his daughter in marriage to the son of the Tao-Klarjeti king Adarnase – Ashot Kurpalates. Subsequently, George managed to capture part of Tao-Klarjeti. But the subjugated region, incited by the Kartlian nobility, revolted again. George sent troops under the command of his son, the governor of Kartli – Leon, who devastated rebellious Kakheti. During the Kakheti expedition, King George died, and Leon, having interrupted the military expedition, was forced to return to Abkhazia to ascend the royal throne. For this, he had to enter into negotiations with the leader of the Kakhetians, Kvirike. The latter recognized himself as Leon's vassal and gave him his son as a son-in-law. Thus, Kakheti retained its self-government for some time, although under the supremacy of the Abkhazian king.
The most important documents shedding light on the activities of the Abkhazian king George II are two letters from the Patriarch of Constantinople, dating from the 930s:
"To the most high and beloved son of ours, the most glorious ruler of Abasgia. We are grieved by the departure from us of your blessed father, our son... especially (remembering) what your father was like, whom all praised and admired. And yet our grief is softened by the fact that God's providence was pleased that you, his blood offspring and fruit of his seed, should receive the beginning of power and appear to your people as a certain image instead of the one who has departed from mortal life... We wish that you, by God's grace, should yield little to your father in your deeds, but even surpass him, and become for your subjects such a father and ruler, that by your deeds you may testify that God justly gave you such a lot, and make your father even more blessed through your life and virtue... And about the Archbishop of Alania, our child, I have nothing to write... in any case... you will help him and assist him in his labors... and if he needs anything necessary in this tribe, in a foreign land, and any life conveniences, readily provide it to him, and God will strengthen you."
The second letter reads as follows:
"To George, ruler of Abasgia... As for what you write about the Bulgars, I do not know what this punishment of God is: evil enmity lasts, and good peace does not come. But you, our child, according to royal dignity and custom, preserve the purity of friendship, be ready for alliance in war, and if necessity arises, fulfill all that is required, as a magnanimous friend, so that here too your virtue and fidelity to friendship may be manifested."
In that era, the messages of the Emperor of Byzantium to the King of Abkhazia were sealed with a golden bulla worth two solidi. In accordance with ceremonies, the form of address was as follows:
"From the Christ-loving lords to (such-and-such) glorious ruler of Abasgia..."
George built the cathedral church in Martvili (Chkondidi), transferred there the relics of many saints, and established an episcopal see there. The church became the burial place of the Abkhazian king.
Many years were spent by George II in the struggle with his half-brother Bagrat, but he nevertheless managed to rule his state fully. Contemporaries called George II the most outstanding of the Abkhazian kings. Byzantium called George II the Christ-loving, God-loving exusiastes (ruler) of Abkhazia. No ruler of Abkhazia earned such a title.
George II first appointed his eldest son Constantine as ruler of Kartli, who, attempting to seize his father's throne, organized a revolt against his father. However, the conspiracy was uncovered and Constantine died after torture. Then
the ruler of Kartli, and later king of Abkhazia, became George II's other son – Leon III. Under him, the church of Chkondidi (Martvili) was built, he established a bishopric there and continued the Christianization of Alania.
Materials:
All rulers of Abkhazia
Abkhazian Kingdom. 786 CE
Anthroponymic repertoire of the "Divan of the Abkhazian kings". G. A. Amichba
Chronicle of the Abkhazian kings. F. Jordania 1902
Bgazhba O. Kh., Lakoba S. Z. History of Abkhazia from ancient times to the present day. 2007
Culture and ideology of early medieval Abkhazia (5th–10th centuries). Amichba 1999
"History of Abkhazia in dates". T. A. Achugba 2011
Circumnavigation of the Euxine Sea. Flavius Arrian
Naturalis Historia. Pliny the Elder 77–79. Latin-English 1969
Reports of ancient Greek and Latin writers about Scythia and the Caucasus. Latyshev 1947
Constantine Porphyrogenitus. On the Administration of the Empire: Text, translation, commentary. Litavrin 1991