Martyr Archil II, King of Iberia

Holy Martyr, Right-believing King Archil II belonged to the Chosroid dynasty, being a direct descendant of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles King Mirian (d. 342), the enlightener of Georgia. He ruled Kartli (Eastern Iberia) during the difficult era of the Arab conquests of the Caucasus. During the Arab invasion in 744, King Archil was seized and brought before the conquerors, who demanded that he renounce the Christian faith and accept Islam, promising in return to preserve his power and wealth. King Archil firmly refused, for which he was subjected to cruel torture and then beheaded on March 20, 744. The Georgian Church honors his memory together with another right-believing martyr-king, Luarsab II of Kartli, who lived almost a thousand years later — both kings bore the same struggle of faithfulness to Christ in the face of conquerors of another faith. His memory is kept on June 21/July 4.