Aspect of Medieval Ideological-Political Discourse (King Deification or Theosis?) in Georgian Historical Literature

Abstract

Idea of the highest secular power equality with the divine has existed from the ancient time. King was regarded as a holy institute belonging to the divine sphere.

Royal power was regarded as Lord’s anointed in Georgian reality.

The idea of anointment of the royals by Lord was reflected in the stories about Queen Tamar as well.

In the above-mentioned context, we would like to focus attention on two fragments from the “Histories and Eulogies of the Sovereigns”. “… Thus, about Tamar, three time desired and elevated by Trinity as the fourth, who became the divine, of the kings…” then Nebuchadnezzar saw one of the three as fourth with three children, now, again, Tamar can be regarded as the fourth with the Trinity, equalized with them and elevated to them…”

We can see similar expressions and addresses to Tamar in the works of historians, though the offered citations are significant in the sense that based on them, in Georgian science there was adopted the view about deification of Queen Tamar, her acclamation as the fourth member of Trinity. Many scientists have considered this issue. Most of them regard acclamation of Tamar as the divine, “forth hypostasis of Trinity” as undoubted fact. But some researchers do not share this view.

We cannot accept the views of number of some scientists about accla-mation of Tamar as “divine by nature”.

In our opinion, words of unknown chronicler does not mean that Tamar was acclaimed as divine by nature, “fourth hypostasis of Trinity”. Here is implied that Queen Tamar was elevated by Trinity to equal position (i.e., due to her worthy reign and, hence, holiness) as the “fourth”, as saint; and this is due to her holiness, she is regarded as “four”, equalized and elevated (to Trinity).

In Georgia, according to Georgian traditions, the king was regarded as Lord’s anointed, but he has never been deified. Assumably, they clearly un-derstood Christian teaching about “deification by nature” and “deification by anointment” and provided and analyzed citations from Queen Tamar’s Chronicler apparently demonstrate this.