King Demetrius II Devoted

We all know that every country needs their hero to have deserving examples. We need heroes in our lives. We need someone to admire and to be our inspiration

I take pride in my country's heroes. Throughout its history there have been many heroes in my country: kings, ordinary people, men and women. One of them is King Demetrius II. People called him devoted (Tavdadebuli), as he sacrificed his life to his country and religion.

King Demetrius was devoted to Christianity, like his mother Queen Gvantsa, who was tortured for her religion. In 1288, on the order of Arghun Khan, he subdued the rebel province of Derbend at the Caspian Sea. The same year, Arghun revealed a plot organized by his powerful minister Buqa, whose son was married to Demetrius's daughter. Bugha and his family were massacred, and the Georgian king, suspected to be involved in a plot, was ordered to the Mongol capital, or Arghun threatened to invade Georgia. Despite much advice from nobles, Demetrius headed for the Khan's residence to face apparent death, and was imprisoned there. He was beheaded at Movakan on 12 March 1289. He was buried at Mtskheta, Georgia, and canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church as Saint.

Heroes, like King Demetrius II are a great inspiration for us, young Georgians, as they are symbols of bravery, devotion, honesty and justice.