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12 THE EXPLORATION OF THE CAUCASUS tions, a great cross enriched with scenes of martyrdom, two silver cups, Italian in character, massive silver jugs. Some of these Signor Sella succeeded in photographing. At Lenjer is a manu- script of the Gospels, copied at Jerusalem in I04G-48— no inscrip- tions or manuscripts prior to the eleventh century are forthcoming ; at Latal a Gospel in an ornamental binding, manuscripts rolled on 'S -^' ANCIENT CHURCH ORNAMENTS AT MESTIA governed by a King : sticks, bells bearing Greek and Latin inscriptions ; at Ezeri, in the Prince's possession, a silver- gilt box, with Kufic inscriptions, and a massive silver bowl of Persian work. It is obvious that an expert from South Kensino'ton niis^ht spend a very interesting holiday in Suanetia, and that the history of the country may be further elucidated, if no greater discoveries are made, by a student competent to look over the ancient rolls and manuscripts. This seems the best place to give a brief sketch of the history and orio-in of the Suanetians. Students will find in the second volume of Dubois de Montpereux's work on the Caucasus, or in M. de Bernoville's Souanetie Libre, fuller information and amjile references. Strabo describes the Soani as a powerful nation, who were and a Council of Three Hundred he adds that they wei-e in the habit of using poisoned weapons in war. The statement in the received text that they could assemble two hundred thousand fighting men must, even if the name is loosely applied to a confederation of the Kolkhian tribes, be taken to
SLA NET I A 213 be a copyist's error. Pliny speaks of the Svanetfe. It is, perhaps, in the worthy of notice that Suanetes and Consuanetes appear catalogue of the Alpine tribes subdued by Augustus, inscribed on the Trophfeum that still shows ' heights on the its ' Roman strength above Monaco. Suanetia was included in the Roman Empire, and Christianity, as is shown by the lists of Bishops present at the CEcumenical Councils, took root at a very early date in Kolkhis. When it penetrated to Suanetia is a matter of conjecture, but M. de Bernoville seems to have some reason for his belief that it was derived directly from Bj^zantium and not through Georgia, The churches found in the district are con- structed on a plan not common in Georgia. Their bells, doubtless of much later origin than the buildings, bear in some instances Latin inscriptions, unfortunately without any date. The country was reserved for Persia in the treaty ni.ide between Chosroes and Justinian when they combined to hold the line of the Caucasus against the Northern hordes. Persian objects are still found among the treasures concealed in the ancient churches, together with flint-headed arrows and weapons of a very remote period. When the Georgian kingdom first established a suzerainty over the Suanetians is uncertain. It was before the eleventh cen- tury, during which they temporarily asserted their independence. A hundred years later (a.d. 1184-1212), Queen Thamara became the ruler of Suanetia. This heroine plays, in popular imagination and legend, throughout the Caucasian isthmus the part taken by Alexander or Charlemagne in other parts of the woi-ld. She was styled by Georgian chroniclers, anticipators of the Hungarian compliment to Maria Theresa, the gi'eatest of their kings. If we may believe the ballads still chanted in her honour by the Suanetians, she led the mountaineers to victory over their neighbours, the Abkhasians and Tauli, and, better still, reduced their taxes to the nominal fee of an e^g per household. Two centuries later (a.u. 1400) we find Suanetia taking advantage of the misfortunes of Georgia to again declare itself independent. The mountaineers' audacity grew until they burnt Kutais ; they were chastised, and a family of the name of Ghelovani
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12 THE EXPLORATION OF THE CAUCASUS<br />
tions, a great cross enriched with scenes of martyrdom, two silver<br />
cups, Italian in character, massive silver jugs. Some of these<br />
Signor Sella succeeded in photographing. At Lenjer is a manu-<br />
script of the Gospels, copied at Jerusalem in I04G-48— no inscrip-<br />
tions or manuscripts prior to the eleventh century are forthcoming ;<br />
at Latal a Gospel in an ornamental binding, manuscripts rolled on<br />
'S -^'<br />
ANCIENT CHURCH ORNAMENTS AT MESTIA<br />
governed by a King :<br />
sticks, bells bearing Greek and<br />
Latin inscriptions ; at Ezeri, in<br />
the Prince's possession, a silver-<br />
gilt box, with Kufic inscriptions,<br />
and a massive silver bowl of<br />
Persian work.<br />
It is obvious that an expert<br />
from South Kensino'ton niis^ht<br />
spend a very interesting holiday<br />
in Suanetia, and that the history<br />
of the country may be further<br />
elucidated, if no greater<br />
discoveries<br />
are made, by a student<br />
competent to look over the<br />
ancient rolls and manuscripts.<br />
This seems the best place<br />
to<br />
give a brief sketch of the history<br />
and orio-in of the Suanetians.<br />
Students will find in the second<br />
volume of Dubois de Montpereux's<br />
work on the Caucasus, or in M. de<br />
Bernoville's Souanetie Libre, fuller<br />
information and amjile references.<br />
Strabo describes the Soani<br />
as a powerful nation, who were<br />
and a Council of Three Hundred he adds<br />
that they wei-e in the habit of using poisoned weapons in war.<br />
The statement in the received text that they could assemble two<br />
hundred thousand fighting men must, even if the name is loosely<br />
applied to a confederation of the Kolkhian tribes, be taken to