Gubazes I of Lazica
King of Lazica
About Gubazes I of Lazica
Lived 401 – 500. Gubazes I of Lazica was a royalty.
Gubazes I (; ) was a king of Lazica who flourished in the 450s and 460s. His relations with the Roman Empire are recorded by Priscus.
Around 456 Gubazes tried to negotiate an alliance with the Sassanid Persians in order to break free from Roman hegemony. In response, in 456, the emperor Marcian dispatched a military expedition against the Lazi, calling upon Gubazes to abdicate or to depose his son, who was his co-ruler, "as it was against tradition to have two joint rulers". Eventually Gubazes abdicated in favor of his son and, in 466, paid a visit to Constantinople, where he had to endure the reprimands of the emperor Leo I, but he was eventually treated with favour and sent back to his homeland, where he seems to have been able to resume his reign. Gubazes' visit to Constantinople is also mentioned in the Life of St. Daniel the Stylite, which reports that Gubazes accompanied Leo to see the renowned monk Daniel, who greatly impressed the Lazic king and even mediated a treaty between the two monarchs.
This period coincided with a campaign launched against Lazica by its eastern neighbour, King Vakhtang I of Iberia, which is narrated in the Georgian Chronicles. Vakhtang was then a Sassanid vassal and his activities in Lazica may have been indirect assistance from the Sassanid shah, as previously offered to Gubazes during his break with Rome.
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Important facts
People in Gubazes I of Lazica's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Gubazes I of Lazica's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Gubazes I of Lazica?
King of Lazica
When was Gubazes I of Lazica born?
Gubazes I of Lazica was born in 401.
When did Gubazes I of Lazica die?
Gubazes I of Lazica died in 500.
What was Gubazes I of Lazica's occupation?
Gubazes I of Lazica was a royalty.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Gubazes I of Lazica
· DBpedia: Gubazes I of Lazica
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gubazes I of Lazica. https://biography.guide/gubazes-i-of-lazica/
MLA: "Gubazes I of Lazica." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gubazes-i-of-lazica/.
Chicago: "Gubazes I of Lazica." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gubazes-i-of-lazica/.
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