'Kartlos' or 'K'art'los' (
Georgian: ქართლოს) was the legendary establisher and eponymous father of
Georgia, and the
Biblical ancestor of
Georgians, namely its nucleus
Kartli (
Caucasian Iberia). His story is narrated in the compilation of the medieval Georgian chronicles, ''
Kartlis Cxovreba'', taken down from oral tradition by
Leonti Mroveli in the
11th century.
The legend has it that he was a son of
Targamos and, thus, brother of
Haos, Movakos, Lekos,
Heros, Kavkasos, and
Egros from whom other
Caucasian peoples took their origin. Kartlos united his people to become their chieftain and founded the city of Kartli. He had several sons – Mcxetos, Gardabos, Kakhos, Kukhos, Gachios, Uphlos, Odzrkhos, Javakhos – who became eponymous founders and the first rulers of
Mtskheta,
Gardabani,
Kakheti,
Kukheti,
Gachiani,
Uplistsikhe,
Odzrkhe, and
Javakheti, respectively.
The 3rd-century BC
Iberian king
Pharnavaz is said to have claimed his descent from Kartlos, being called ''Kartlosiani'' (Kartlosid) after him.
According to modern scholars, Kartlos seems to be a later contrivance though he came to be regarded in the medieval epoch as a real historical figure and the genuine founder of the Georgian nation.
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Genealogies