King Farnavaz I (Pharnavaz I, 284-219 BC) was a King of the Georgian Kingdom of Iberia (modern Eastern Georgia) and founder of the Georgian dinasty of Farnavazians (284 BC-5th century AD). He was born in 317 BC. In accordance with the Georgian chronicle of Leonti Mroveli (8th century AD) "Tskhovreba Kartvelta Mepeta" ("The life of Georgian Kings") Farnavaz I was inventor of the Georgian alphabet (oldest form of the Georgian script "Asomtavruli") in 284 BC. It was confirmed by the archaeological excavations of 1940's and 1995-2003 in Armaztsikhe (near Mtskheta) and Nekresi (in Kakheti).
Main sources about the life of Farnavaz I are chronicle of Leonti Mroveli, chronikle "Moktsevai Kartlisai" (5th century AD), "Life of Saint Nino" (4th century), etc.
Literature
- Pavle Ingorokva. Old Georgian chronicle "Moktsevai Kartlisai" and the List of the Kings of Iberia.- Bulletin of the State Museum of Georgia, vol. XI-B, Tbilisi, 1942, pp. 259-320 (in Georgian).
- Leonti Mroveli. "Tskhovreba Kartvelta Mepeta". Kartlis Tskhovreba (Edited by Simon Kaukhchishvili), Tbilisi, 1942, pp. 14-19 (in Georgian).
