The Church of St George of Armathion: a Hagionymic Comment

Abstract

The article discusses the name of St George’s Church in the village of Zemo Machkhaani – St George of Armathion. It is argued that Armathion must have been derived from the Greek word a{rma, aJrmavto~ ‘cart’ by adding the Georgian possessive and genitive suffix -ion: armat-ion. According to accounts of St George’s life, he was tortured on the wheel. In this area, St George’s Day is celebrated on the 10th of November (Julian date), after an old custom. The author believes that November 10 was the day chosen to commemorate the Cappadocian knight’s torture on the wheel.