Demetrius II of Georgia

Demetrius II დემეტრე II
King of Kings of Georgia
Fresco portrait of Demetrius II from chapel of the Annunciation at Udabno, c. 1290
King of Georgia
Reign	1270–1289
Coronation	1271 at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
Predecessor	David VII
Successor	Vakhtang II
Spouse	Theodora Megale Komnena Solgar Natela Jakeli
Issue
David VIII Vakhtang III (George) Lasha Manuel Baindur Iodigar Mamia Jigda Khanum George V
Full name
Demetrius II the Self-sacrificer
Dynasty	Bagrationi
Father	David VII of Georgia
Mother	Gvantsa Kakhaberidze
Born	1259
Died	12 March 1289 Movakan
Burial	Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Mtskheta
Religion	Georgian Orthodox Church

Saint King Demetrius II the Self-sacrificer (დემეტრე II თავდადებული) (1259 – 12 March 1289), from the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia in 1270–1289.

Life

"Demetrius II's farewell to his people", by Henryk Hryniewski.

Son of King David VII and his wife Gvantsa, Demetrius was only 2 years old when his mother was killed by the Mongols in 1261. He succeeded on his father's death in 1270, when he was 11 years old. He ruled under the regency of Sadun Mankaberdeli for some time. In 1277–1281, he took part in Abaqa Khan's campaigns against Egypt and in particularly distinguished himself at the Second Battle of Homs, (29 October 1281). Although he continued to be titled "king of Georgians and Abkhazians, etc", Demetrius’s rule extended only over the eastern part of the kingdom. Western Georgia was under the rule of the Imeretian branch of the Bagrationi dynasty.

King Demetrius was considered quite a controversial person. Devoted to Christianity, he was criticized for his polygamy.^{[citation needed]} In 1288, on the order of Arghun Khan, he subdued the rebel province of Derbend at the Caspian Sea. The same year, Arghun revealed a plot organized by his powerful minister Buqa, whose son was married to Demetrius's daughter. Bugha and his family were massacred, and the Georgian king, suspected to be involved in a plot, was ordered to the Mongol capital, or Arghun threatened to invade Georgia. Despite much advice from nobles, Demetrius headed for the Khan’s residence to face apparent death, and was imprisoned there. He was beheaded at Movakan on 12 March 1289. He was buried at Mtskheta, Georgia, and canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church.

He was succeeded by his cousin Vakhtang II.

Marriages and children

At one point, he had three wives. In 1277, he married a daughter of Manuel I of Trebizond by whom he had 5 children

• David VIII

• Vakhtang III

• Prince Lasha

• Prince Baindur

• Princess Rusudan

Demetrius also had 3 children by his second wife, Mongol princess Solghar:

• Prince Mamia

• Princess Jigda Khanum, married Emperor Alexios II of Trebizond

• Princess Iodigar

In ca. 1280, he married his third wife, Natela, daughter of Beka Jakeli, Atabeg of Samtskhe and Lord High Steward of Georgia. They were the parents of George V the Brilliant.

External links

• დემეტრე II თავდადებული (in Georgian)

Preceded by David VII

King of Georgia 1270–1289

Succeeded by Vakhtang II