page_title: Military history of Georgia
section_title: Late Antiquity
hierarchical_section_title: Military history of Georgia / Late Antiquity
context_page_description: The country of Georgia has known a rich military history, both as a battlefield of empires and as an independent political and military power. The strategic significance and natural wealth of its territory made it the target of many invasions, and the country's independence was preserved against multiple enemies by a succession of states. Before the unification of the country by the Bagrationi dynasty in the 10th century, several states, such as Iberia and Colchis had managed to subsist between the Roman empire and the Sassanid Empire. Between the 11th and 15th centuries, the Kingdom of Georgia was a major regional power, which withstood invasions by the Great Seljuk Empire, Mongol Empire, and Timurid Empire, before its fragmentation and submission to the Ottoman and Safavid Empires. Many Georgians fought in the armies of the empires that ruled the country from the 16th century, be it the Safavids, the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union, and the nation kept a reputation for military valour and skill.
caption: Map of Georgia during Late Antiquity. The Byzantine and Sassanid Empire fought for control of Kingdom of Iberia  and the Kingdom of Lazica during this period.