Georgian and Syriac Responses to Zoroastrian Persecution: A Comparative Hagiographical Study

This paper examines how Georgian and Syriac hagiographical traditions depict Christian martyrdom under Zoroastrian rule during Late Antiquity, focusing on the Martyrdom of Saint Eustathius of Mtskheta (6th c.) and the Legend of Mar Qardagh, alongside selected texts from the Syriac Persian Martyr Acts. These narratives, shaped within distinct cultural and linguistic milieus, nonetheless reflect a shared theological response to religious persecution in the Sasanian Empire. The paper examines how themes of apostasy, imperial loyalty, and spiritual resistance are adapted in the Georgian and Syriac contexts, emphasizing both convergence and divergence in literary structure, martyr typology, and political theology. Special attention is given to the figure of the Zoroastrian convert, whose transformation from imperial subject to Christian confessor challenges both social order and religious orthodoxy. While the Georgian Eustathius foregrounds local ecclesiastical identity and the role of communal witness, the Syriac accounts – particularly Mar Qardagh – frame martyrdom within a broader vision of elite defection and cosmic contest. A brief comparative note is included on the Coptic Martyrdom of James the Persian, offering a wider lens on the transmission and reinterpretation of Persian martyr narratives across Christian traditions. The paper contributes to understanding how Christian communities beyond the Byzantine core articulated sanctity, resistance, and memory under Sasanian domination by situating Georgian and Syriac martyrdom texts within a shared historical framework.