Righteous 15th century

Righteous Jotham Zedgenidze

died 1465

Also known as Jotham of Georgia

A Georgian nobleman remembered for loyalty to King George VIII and faithfulness amid war and political turmoil.

Feast Day

October 30

Draft

Draft — pending review. Not yet verified for publication.

Hymn / Apolytikion Icon gallery Video / Media

Life

Iotam (Jotham) Zedgenidze was a fifteenth-century Georgian nobleman of the Zedgenidze family who served King George VIII of Georgia. He is remembered in Georgian tradition for an act of loyalty that cost him his life: in 1465 he gave himself up to assassins in place of the king he served.

While George VIII was encamped near Lake Paravani during a campaign against Qvarqvare II in Samtskhe, conspirators within the royal entourage plotted to kill the monarch. Having learned of the plot, Iotam warned the king; when George dismissed the warning, Iotam offered to sleep in the royal tent in the king's place. That night the conspirators killed Iotam instead of their intended victim, and George survived.

The Georgian Orthodox Church commemorates him for this faithfulness. His descendants were raised to high nobility in recognition of the sacrifice, receiving the hereditary office of amilakhvari, from which the prominent Amilakhvari family takes its name. He is venerated as Righteous, commemorated on October 30.

Timeline 2 moments Read Hide

1446 George VIII crowned King George VIII, whom Iotam served, was crowned ruler of a united Georgian kingdom and devoted his reign to the struggle for the country's reunification.
1465 Sacrifice near Lake Paravani During George VIII's campaign against Qvarqvare II in Samtskhe, conspirators in the royal entourage plotted to kill the king. Iotam, having warned the king in vain, slept in the royal tent in his place and was killed by the assassins, allowing George to escape.

Contributions & Legacy

3 contributions Read Hide

Historical Context

Iotam Zedgenidze lived during a turbulent period in Georgian history. King George VIII, whom he served, was crowned ruler of a united Georgian kingdom in 1446 and devoted his reign to the struggle for the country's reunification. His reign coincided with the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the Fall of Trebizond in 1461, and was beset by civil war with his cousin Bagrat, who declared himself King of Imereti, and by repeated invasions by the White Sheep (Aq Qoyunlu) Turcomans of Uzun Hasan.

George VIII is remembered as the last monarch to rule over a united Georgian kingdom, though the formal division of the realm was not recognized until 1490. The 1465 assassination plot that Iotam thwarted arose from this climate of internal dissension; according to the historical accounts, the king narrowly survived the attempt because Iotam was fatally stabbed in his place while defending him.

Legacy

In recognition of Iotam's sacrifice, King George VIII elevated his family to the high nobility. By the accounts preserved, the king granted his sons numerous fortresses in Kartli, the office of prefects of Gori, and the hereditary rank of commander-in-chief of Kartli, together with the offices of amilakhvari (master of the horse), sardali (commander), and mouravi.

It was through Iotam Zedgenidze that the Amilakhvari family rose to particular prominence, taking its name from the office granted in reward for his deed. The family received numerous fiefs, including Samtavisi Cathedral, the town of Kaspi, and villages along the Mtkvari (Kura) River, and remained prominent in Georgian nobility for centuries. By the accounts, George VIII raised either Iotam's eldest son or Iotam himself, before he died of his wounds, to the new title.

Veneration

Iotam Zedgenidze is venerated as a saint by the Georgian Orthodox Church and is commemorated on October 30. His veneration is a local Georgian commemoration with limited coverage in English-language Orthodox reference works.

Notes

Local Georgian commemoration.

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints