Arshusha II. Arshusha was later able to buy his freedom back. He then freed the sons of Hmayeak, and took them back to Armenia with their mother. Later, Arshusha organized the wedding of his son Varsken with Shushanik, daughter of Vardan Mamikonian. Upon the death of his Arshusha, Varsken went to Ctesiphon and was received by the Sasanian Peroz I (), converting to the family's former religion, Zoroastrianism. He also shifted his allegiance from the Christian Iberian monarchy to the Sasanian Empire. As a reward for his conversion, he was given the viceroyalty of Caucasian Albania and a daughter of Peroz in marriage. The basilica of Bolnisi Sioni in Iberia is a testimony of the growing Sasanian influence there. It was constructed in 478/479 in the southern part of the country, which had fallen under the control of the Mihranids. The iconography of the basilica showed Iranian characteristics, while its inscription, written in Old Georgian, mentions the Peroz I. Under Varsken and his predecessors, the city of Tsurtavi was transformed into one of the seats of the . The reports of the contemporary Iberian historian Iakob Tsurtaveli indicates that Varsken was a sovereign in his own right, and acknowledged the suzerainty of the only as a counterbalance to the Iberian kings. Espousing his pro-Iranian position, Varsken attempted to force his family to convert to Zoroastrianism, including Shushanik, which eventually resulted in her martyrdom, dying from the violence inflicted by her husband. His Zoroastrianizing efforts were seemingly only limited to that of his family. There are no reports of attempts to convert his Christian subjects, and the main source for Shushanik's life—the Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik—does not consider the martyrdom of his wife as part of a systematic Christian persecution. His policies were unacceptable to the Iberian king Vakhtang I (), who had him killed and then revolted against Iran in 482. Varsken was succeeded by Arshusha III. Genealogy References Sources Histoire de l'Arménie: des origines à 1071, Paris, 1947. 482 deaths Year of birth unknown 5th-century Iranian people Mihranids Converts to Zoroastrianism from Christianity Zoroastrian rulers Vassal rulers of the Sasanian Empire Caucasian Albania Governors of the Sasanian Empire Peroz I