The Samshvilde Sioni inscription ( ka, სამშვილდის სიონის წარწერა) is the

Georgian language Georgian (, , ) is the most widely-spoken Kartvelian language, and serves as the literary language or lingua franca for speakers of related languages. It is the official language of Georgia and the native or primary language of 87.6% of its p ...

inscription written in the Georgian ''

Asomtavruli The Georgian scripts are the three writing systems used to write the Georgian language: #Asomtavruli, Asomtavruli, #Nuskhuri, Nuskhuri and #Mkhedruli, Mkhedruli. Although the systems differ in appearance, their Letter (alphabet), letters share t ...

'' script on the Sioni Church in

Samshvilde Samshvilde ( ka, სამშვილდე, ) is a ruined fortified city and archaeological site in Georgia, in the country's south, near the homonymous modern-day village in the Tetritsqaro Municipality, Kvemo Kartli region. The ruins of the c ...

, a ruined cathedral located in the

Tetritsqaro Municipality Tetritskaro ( ka, თეთრიწყაროს მუნიციპალიტეტი, ''Tetrićqaros Municiṕaliťeťi'') is a district of Georgia, in the region of Kvemo Kartli. Its main town is Tetritskaro. Tetritskaro municipality is ...

Kvemo Kartli Kvemo Kartli ( ka, ქვემო ქართლი, az, Aşağı Kartli) or "Lower Kartli", is a historic province and current administrative region (mkhare) in southeastern Georgia. The city of Rustavi is the regional capital. Location Kvem ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. Originally the inscription was 35 ''

metres The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...

'' long but only 10 metres of inscription survived. The inscription mentions Georgian ''

eristavi ''Eristavi'' (; literally, "head of the nation") was a Georgian feudal office, roughly equivalent to the Byzantine ''strategos'' and normally translated into English as "prince" or less commonly as "duke". In the Georgian aristocratic hierarchy, i ...

s'' Varaz-Bakur and Iovane and two

Byzantine Emperors This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...

Constantine V Constantine V ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντῖνος, Kōnstantīnos; la, Constantinus; July 718 – 14 September 775), was Byzantine emperor from 741 to 775. His reign saw a consolidation of Byzantine security from external threats. As an able ...

and

Leo IV the Khazar Leo IV the Khazar (Greek: Λέων ὁ Χάζαρος, ''Leōn IV ho Khazaros''; 25 January 750 – 8 September 780) was Byzantine emperor from 775 to 780 AD. He was born to Emperor Constantine V and Empress Tzitzak in 750. He was elevated to c ...

Inscription

*Translation: "Jesus Christ, built by the mercy of Christ and love of mankind, for praying the Holy

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...

, o Christ have mercy on the relatives of pitiaksh. Of the year of reign of King Constantine that laid the ground for this, and it was built. Varaz-Bakur took a rest here and is behind of this and Iovane looked forward for it. And it was built. It was entirely built, this Holy Church, and in the year of reign King Leon, in the days of September, three days of gathering there was, and for its adornment."

Dating

Several scholars differently dated the inscription because of its damage.

Sargis Kakabadze Sargis N. Kakabadze (October 7, 1886 – April 2, 1967) was a Georgian historian and philologist, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor. He was born in 1886, in a small village Kukhi (Imereti region of Western Georgia). In 1910 he graduated ...

dates it to 778 AD,

Giorgi Chubinashvili Giorgi Chubinashvili ( ka, გიორგი ჩუბინაშვილი; November 21, 1885 – January 14, 1973) was a Georgian art historian. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia he studied psychology at the universities of Leipzig and Hall ...

- 8th century,

Ekvtime Takaishvili Ekvtime Takaishvili (also spelled Taqaishvili) () (January 5, 1862 – February 21, 1953) was a Georgian historian, archaeologist and public benefactor. Born in the village of Likhauri in the western Georgian province of Guria to a local nobleman ...

- 958 AD, where

Marie-Félicité Brosset Marie-Félicité Brosset (24 January 1802 – 3 September 1880) was a French orientalist who specialized in Georgian and Armenian studies. He worked mostly in Russia. Early life and first works Marie-Félicité Brosset was born in Paris int ...

thought the inscription was dated to 1313 AD.Brosset 1856: 99-102

References

{{reflist Georgian inscriptions Archaeological artifacts