Holy Martyr Ashot Kuropalates 

King Ashot of Kartli was a warrior for the reunification of the Republic of Georgia.  He sought to push the tired Muslims out of Tbilisi.  After three years, the Muslims received a new ruler that renewed their energies to hold their claim on Georgia and hunt King Ashot down.  Ashot did not move quickly enough to stop them and was forced to flee.  He and his family along with a small army, stopped to rest and the enemy surounded them while they slept.  By a miracle of God, Ashot's small army defeated the much larger Muslim army.  Ashot then settled in that region and regained his rule.  He rebuilt the area with churches, monasteries, and schools.  The area became a hub for a renaissance of Georgia. Though King Ashot was a God-fearing leader, he fell into temptation by having an affair with a woman.  St. Father Grigol, then staying with King Ashot, found out about this affair and confronted him concerning it.  Ashot promised to end the affair, but could not break himself of the woman.  St. Grigol then took the woman to Mere Monastery and presented her to the abbess without telling Ashot.  When Ashot found out where they had put the woman, he went to the abbess and begged her to return the woman to him.  The abbess refused.  King Ashot was then humbled and repented saying, "Blessed is the man who is no longer alive to this world."  He rededicated himself to God and made plans to return to Kartli.  At the same time, Khalil, a Muslim warrior, conquered Kartli.  King Ashot made movements to assemble an army, desparately putting together an army of draftees.  Unfortunately, some of the draftees were traitors. They captured King Ashot in a church and stabbed him to death on the altar in the sanctuary.  It is said that the stains of his blood are visible to this day.  He was martyred in the year 829.  

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