Background
Mariam was married to George I (r 1014-1027) as his first wife, but seems to have been divorced by the king so that he could marry Alda, daughter of the king of Alania.
Mariam was married to George I (r 1014-1027) as his first wife, but seems to have been divorced by the king so that he could marry Alda, daughter of the king of Alania.
During Bagart’s minority, she shared the regency with the grandees, particularly with the dukes Liparit and Ivane. Mariam continued to play a prominent role in Georgia’s politics even after Bagrat assumed full reigning powers. The Georgian chronicles speak of the Armenians being her subjects because of her parentage, a possible reference to a three-month-long Georgian control of Ani before the city was finally annexed by the Byzantines in 1045, and report a disagreement between Bagrat and Mariam regarding the future of Bagrat’s half-brother Demetre, who defected to the Byzantines in 1033 handing over the fortress of Anacopia.
Mariam advocated the reconciliation between the brothers and made a futile attempt at bringing the rebellious Demetre back to loyalty.
Mariam was distinguished by her contributions to the Christian church and monastic foundations. She is commemorated for donations to the Iviron monastery (on Mount Athos) in its Synodicon.
He was known for his association with the eminent Georgian monk and scholar George the Hagiorite under whose auspices Mariam would eventually become a nun. These, however, persuaded the queen to refrain from visiting the Saracen-held Jerusalem.
George the Hagiorite himself took her money and distributed it among the poor and the monasteries there.
The death of Mariam is not mentioned in the chronicles. She was present at Bagrat IV’s deathbed in 1072, and was certainly dead by 1103 when she is commemorated in the record of the Georgian church council at Ruisi–Urbnisi.