?
К вопросу о церковном статусе и религиозной ситуации в византийской феме Иверия
The article considers the issue of the church status of the territory of the Byzantine theme Iberia (c. 1023–1073/1074). In 1045 Byzantium annexed the lands of Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia and included them in Iberia, which led to the significant increase of the Armenian Monophysite population in the theme. The seven dioceses of Iberia, which were located in the lands of the former Bagratid Armenia, are absent from the lists of the Notitiae Episcopatuum of the Church of Constantinople and were included in the lists of the Antiochian Orthodox Church somewhere in the 11th century. Moreover, in three additional 11th century manuscripts of the Notitia Antiochena the Antiochian patriarch owned three domains from the territory of Northern Tao, which was allegedly not part of Iberia. Nevertheless, data from the Georgian “Chronicle of Kartli” and the “Testament of Eustathius Boilas” suggest that at least from 1047 to 1053/1057, some of these fortresses in the Northern Tao were under Byzantine control and were included in the administrative structure of the theme. The return of these lands to the rule of the Georgian king Bagrat IV between 1053 and 1057, as well as the tense conflict at the same time between the Antiochian and Georgian churches about the authenticity of the Georgian autocephaly, did not allow the Church of Antioch to fully put in order the new created dioceses in such a short period of time. The article considers the issue of the church status of the territory of the Byzantine theme Iberia (c. 1023–1073/1074). In 1045 Byzantium annexed the lands of Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia and included them in Iberia, which led to the significant increase of the Armenian Monophysite population in the theme. The seven dioceses of Iberia, which were located in the lands of the former Bagratid Armenia, are absent from the lists of the Notitiae Episcopatuum of the Church of Constantinople and were included in the lists of the Antiochian Orthodox Church somewhere in the 11th century. Moreover, in three additional 11th century manuscripts of the Notitia Antiochena the Antiochian patriarch owned three domains from the territory of Northern Tao, which was allegedly not part of Iberia. Nevertheless, data from the Georgian “Chronicle of Kartli” and the “Testament of Eustathius Boilas” suggest that at least from 1047 to 1053/1057, some of these fortresses in the Northern Tao were under Byzantine control and were included in the administrative structure of the theme. The return of these lands to the rule of the Georgian king Bagrat IV between 1053 and 1057, as well as the tense conflict at the same time between the Antiochian and Georgian churches about the authenticity of the Georgian autocephaly, did not allow the Church of Antioch to fully put in order the new created dioceses in such a short period of time.