Mirian I () was a king of Iberia who reigned in the 2nd century BC. An adopted son of his father-in-law King Sauromaces I, he was a Persian-born prince but governed over Iberia as a member of the Pharnavazid dynasty. His reign coincided with the emergence of large geopolitical changes associated with the slow collapse of the Seleucid Empire and the rise of Parthia, as well as the increasing power of the neighboring Kingdom of Armenia. While he faced a violent North Caucasian invasion, he repelled it successfully and fortified the Dariali Pass, which would remain Georgia's first line of northern defense until the 19th century. Life Origins The medieval Georgian Chronicles, telling the history of the ancient Kingdom of Iberia, remains vague on the origins of Mirian. In the book, he is named a "Nebrotid" along with his descendants, an indication of his Persian origin as "Nebrot" was the Georgian name for Biblical figure Nimrod, the mythical ancestor of Persians. While the identity of his father is unknown, his mother was said to be a maternal aunt of the wife of King Sauromaces I of Iberia and a sister of the Persian governor of Azerbaijan. Vakhushti of Kartli and Marie-Félicité Brosset talk of Mirian I as the founder of the Nebrotid dynasty of Iberia. However, Cyril Toumanoff believed that the king was born into the Orontid royal dynasty of Armenia (though the latter disappeared around 200 BC), or even a Persian Mihranid (and so even though the Mihranids only appeared in history in the 4th century). Most likely, Mirian I was a Persian noble, his name coming from the Middle Persian mihrbān ("friendly, good") and the Old Persian "Miθrāpāna" ("under the protection of Mithra"). Heir to the throne King Sauromaces I had Mirian sent to Iberia as he had no male heir and was seeking a successor. He offered him his oldest daughter to wed, as well as the provinces of Gachiani and Samshvilde, the southern marches of the kingdom, with the title of eristavi ("royal governor"). He would eventually formally be appointed as heir to the throne by Sauromaces I, making his reign a continuation of the Pharnavazid dynasty. Reign North Caucasian invasion In 162 BC (or 159 BC according to Cyril Toumanoff), King Sauromaces I died after a long reign of 75 years. Mirian acceded the throne, becoming the third King of Iberia, his capital being Mtskheta.