Parnavaz I of Iberia

Pharnavaz I
King of All Iberia and Colchis
Relief of King Pharnavaz
1st or 2nd King of Iberia
Reign	302–237 BC 299–234 BC 284–219 BC
Predecessor	Azo of Iberia (office created)
Successor	Saurmag I of Iberia
Born	329, 326 or 311 BC Mtskheta, Kartli
Died	237, 234 or 219 BC (aged 92) Mtskheta, Kingdom of Iberia
Burial	Armazi, Kingdom of Iberia (undisclosed)
Spouse	Durdzuk woman
Issue	Saurmag I of Iberia
Dynasty	Pharnavazid dynasty
Father	Georgian prince
Mother	Persian woman
Religion	Georgian paganism (God Armazi)

Pharnavaz I (Georgian: ფარნავაზ I Georgian pronunciation: [pʰɑrnɑvɑz]) also transliterated as Parnavaz or Farnavaz was the king of Kartli, an ancient Georgian kingdom known as Iberia to the Classical sources. The Georgian Chronicles credits him with being the first monarch founding the kingship of Kartli and the Pharnavazid dynasty, while another independent chronicles, The Conversion of Kartli makes him the second Georgian monarch. Based on the medieval evidence, most scholars locate Pharnavaz’s rule in the 3rd century BC: 302–237 BC according to Prince Vakhushti of Kartli, 299–234 BC according to Cyril Toumanoff and 284–219 BC according to Pavle Ingoroqva. Pharnavaz's rise and the advent of the Iberian monarchy was directly tied to the victory of Alexander the Great over the Achaemenid Empire.

According to the Georgian royal annals, Pharnavaz descended from Uplos, son of Mtskhetos, son of Kartlos, who was one of the powerful and famous eight brothers, who from their part were descendants of Targamos, son of Tarsi, the grandson of Japheth, son of the Biblical Noah. He is not directly attested in non-Georgian sources and there is no definite contemporary indication that he was indeed the first of the Georgian kings. His story is saturated with legendary imagery and symbols, and it seems feasible that, as the memory of the historical facts faded, the real Pharnavaz "accumulated a legendary façade" and emerged as the model pre-Christian monarch in the Georgian annals.