The Nicene Age · AD 313–400
King Mirian III of Iberia
d. c. 361 · King of Iberia (Georgia) · Royal convert of Nino · Mtskheta, Iberia
The Nicene Age
Who King Mirian III of Iberia was
The king of Iberia converted through Nino after his queen Nana — lost, by the famous account, in a sudden darkness while hunting, he vowed himself to “the captive’s God” if the light returned, and it did. He proclaimed Christ, set the people to building a church (the wooden pillar the workmen could not raise, lifted — the story says — by unseen hands), and sent envoys to Constantine asking for clergy. With Nana he lies buried at Mtskheta; Georgia counts him its Constantine.
Common questions
When did King Mirian III die?
King Mirian III of Iberia is dated d. c. 361 in the archive, which places King Mirian III in the Nicene Age (AD 313–400). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
Which early sources mention King Mirian III?
King Mirian III of Iberia is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Rufinus of Aquileia and Socrates Scholasticus (from Rufinus). Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was King Mirian III from?
The archive associates King Mirian III of Iberia with Mtskheta, Iberia. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Who were King Mirian III’s contemporaries?
The archive links King Mirian III of Iberia to 3 other figures, including Nino of Georgia, Queen Nana of Iberia and Constantine the Great. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Church History X.11 (the king lost in the dark wood)
c. AD 402Ecclesiastical History I.20 (Rufinus/Socrates)
c. AD 439While the king was hunting, thick darkness fell upon him… and he vowed that if delivered he would worship the God of the captive; and the light returning, he performed his vow, and sent an embassy to Constantine for priests.Socrates Scholasticus (from Rufinus) · I.20 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 301 · Hripsime and her company, AD 301
- AD 303 · The Great Persecution begins, AD 303
- AD 303 · The search of the church at Cirta, AD 303
- AD 306 · The Council of Elvira, AD 306
- AD 311 · Galerius’ edict of Serdica, AD 311
- AD 313 · The Edict of Milan, AD 313
- AD 314 · The Council of Arles, AD 314
- AD 320 · Silvanus tried before Zenophilus, AD 320
- AD 325 · The Council of Nicaea, AD 325
- AD 339 · The persecution of Shapur II, AD 339
- AD 343 · The Council of Serdica, AD 343
- AD 361 · Julian’s pagan restoration, AD 361
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put King Mirian III.
- 1Iberiaprovince only