Eunapius of Sardis’ Subarmachios, and the Importance of His Identification for the Reconstruction of the History of the Late Antique Kingdom of Iberia/Kartli

Abstract

The prosopography of the Roman Empire of Late Antiquity and the early Christian period speaks of one very interesting and extraordinary Georgian historical figure named Subarmachius / Σουβαρμάχιος. The only surviving record about him belongs to a 4^th-5^th century pagan historian and sophist, Eunapius of Sardis. According to the author of this article, Σουβαρμάχιος is a Greek version of the Latin Sauromaces, mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus, which in turn is a Latinized version of the name საურმაგ (Saurmag), known from Georgian historiography. The main obstacle in identifying Eunapius’ Σουβαρμάχιος with Ammianus’ Sauromaces is that Eunapius calls him a “pure-bred Colchian”, and Ammianus shows him as a governor of Iberia. However, the idea that ancient Iberia / Kartli covered eastern Georgia, and Colchis covered western Georgia, was as widespread at the times of Eunapius of Sardis as it is now. One also should consider the writing style of Eunapius of Sardis. He, as well as other writers trained in classical rhetoric, liked to play with words and to use different literary tools. Therefore, there are two reasons for Eunapius to call Subarmachios a Colchian. The first is the geographic location of historical south-western Georgia and its association with legendary Colchis; the second is Eunapius’ writing style and his desire to show Subarmachios’ bohemian way of life by associating his abnormal love of eating and feasting, drunkenness and excessive luxury with the verb Συβαρίζω and the legendary capital of Colchis – Σύβαρις.