396 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



To those who know the country, the march of this 

 monarch, after his defeat by Pompey, from the Ingour 

 to Anapa, seems an achievement worthy of his great 

 reputation. The glory of the ancient Greek colonies 

 had now departed, and the far-famed shores of Colchis 

 and lovely valleys of Abkhasia became a Eoman 

 province under the rule of a governor appointed by 

 Pompey. Not long after, it was incorporated into 

 the kingdom of Bosphorus, under Polemoii I., who 

 had married a granddaughter of Mithridates. During 

 the reign of Polemoii II., or about forty years after 

 Christ, the apostles Simon and Andrew arrived, 

 according to the Georgian chronicle, in Abkhasia 

 and Mingrelia, to publish those truths which have 

 never since been altogether extinguished. The Em- 

 perors of Rome continued to arrogate to themselves 

 the right of naming the rulers of these provinces, 

 which Avere, nevertheless, practically independent. 

 When, however, war broke out between the Persians 

 and the people of the Caucasus, Justinian was obliged 

 to send his armies to the assistance of the latter, for 

 the Persians meditated the, conquest of Mingrelia ami 

 Gouriel, then united into one province, from which 

 they could threaten Constantinople itself. The 

 Abkhasians took this opportunity of withdrawing 

 themselves from their allegiance to the neighbouring 

 province, which had assumed the right of naming 

 their kings. They succeeded in this attempt, and 

 appointed two kings of their own. Justinian deter- 



