- 565 AD. Byzantium under Justinian
Misimians — their ethnic identification remains debatable. Some researchers see in this ethnonym the self-name of the Svans (G.A. Melikishvili. On the History of Ancient Georgia, pp. 65, 92, 100). However, there is another point of view linking the Misimians with the Abkhazian ethnos (Sh.D. Inal-Ipa. Questions of the Ethnocultural History of the Abkhazians, pp. 226-238). The Misimians appeared on the historical scene in the 6th century in connection with a revolt against the Byzantines. The Misimians belonged to the Apsilian tribal union. They lived in the foothill and mountainous part, occupying the territory between the Kodori and Inguri rivers. In the west, they bordered the Apsilae in the area of the main fortress of Apsilia — Tzibila. In the east, the border with the Lazi passed near the Misimian fortress of Buchloon (modern Pakhulan) on the Inguri. The cause and the revolt itself are vividly described by the Byzantine historian Agathias, who continued Procopius's narrative. The Byzantine punitive expedition cost the Misimians dearly. During the military operations, they lost "no less than 5,000 men, even more women, and even more children." At that time, on the verge of complete destruction, the Misimians were converted to the Christian religion. The fortress of Buchloon, which sparked the Misimian revolt, remained in the hands of the Alans for a long time.
VARIANT NAMES: Greek. Μισιμιανοι, Russian. Misimians.
Sources:
Ethnogenesis of the Abkhazians. D.A. Arshba, 2015