Mirian I of Iberia
Mirian I was king of Iberia from 159 BC to 109 BC. His name, of Middle Iranian origin, means "friendly, kind", and is derived from Old Iranian Mithrāpāna, meaning "having the protection of Mithra".
When Saurmag, the second king of Iberia, died without a male heir, the dynasty survived in the female line through the marriage of Saurmag's daughter to Mirian, who is referred to as Nebrot'iani, which means the "race of Nimrod" a generic term applied to the ancient Iranian nobility. The dynasty that Mirian ruled is thus referred as the Nimrodid or second Pharnavazid dynasty. Mirian had his daughter married to the Artaxiad prince Artaxias, whose father Artavasdes I was the incumbent king of Armenia. In 120 BC, Mirian most likely became a vassal of the Parthian Empire. Massive circulation of Parthian coins into Iberia, along with Armenia and Caucasian Albania, indicates that these kingdoms had been swayed by the influence of the Parthians.
Mirian is further reported to have defeated a mountaineers' invasion of the province of Kakheti, and is credited with the fortification of the Daryal Pass as well as to contributing to the cult of Ainina and Danina.
