Sauromaces II of Iberia

Saurmag II (Georgian: საურმაგ II, Latinized as Sauromaces), of the Chosroid Dynasty, was a king of Iberia (Kartli, eastern Georgia) from 361 to 363 and diarch from 370 to 378. He is ignored by the Georgian historic tradition, but mentioned by the 4th-century historian of the Roman Empire, Ammianus Marcellinus. He was the first son of Rev II to Salome and brother of Trdat of Iberia.

Saurmag seems to have succeeded on the death of his paternal grandfather, Mirian III, the first Christian king of Iberia, in 361 and pursued pro-Roman policy. In 363, he was ousted by the Sassanid king Shapur II who installed Aspacures II (Varaz-Bakur) in his place. Aspacures II was Saurmag's paternal uncle. The Sassanid intervention in the Caucasus eventually drew a Roman response and, later in 370, Roman Emperor Valens sent in the twelve legions—about 12,000 men—under Terentius who restored Saurmag in the western provinces of Iberia adjoining Armenia and Lazica, while Aspacures' successor Mihrdat III was permitted to retain control of the northeastern part of the kingdom. The deal was not recognized by Shapur, who regarded it as grounds for war, and resumed hostilities against Rome early in 371.^[1] By 378, however, the Gothic War had constrained Rome to abandon Sauromaces; his realm must have ceased to exist as Iberia passed, whole or nearly so, under the Sassanid suzerainty.^[2]

References

1. Lenski, Noel Emmanuel (2002), Failure of Empire: Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century A.D., p. 175. University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-23332-8.
2. Cyril Toumanoff (1963), Studies in Christian Caucasian History, pp. 460-461. Georgetown University Press.