Sauromaces II of Iberia

Saurmag II ( _ka. საურმაგ II, Latinized as "Sauromaces"), of the Chosroid Dynasty, was a king of Iberia (Kartli, eastern Georgia) from AD 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.

Saurmag seems to have succeeded on the death of Mirian III, the first Christian king of Iberia, in 361 and pursued pro-Roman policy. In 363, he was ousted by the Iranian Sassanid king Shapur II who installed Aspacures II (Varaz-Bakur) in his place. The Iranian intervention in the Caucasus eventually drew a Roman response and, later in 370, Emperor Valens sent in the twelve legions – about 12,000 men – under Terentius who restored Sauromaces 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. [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 0520233328.] 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. [Toumanoff, Cyril (1963), "Studies in Christian Caucasian History", pp. 460-461. Georgetown University Press.]

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