Ancient Caucasian kingdom on the eastern Black Sea coast, the Georgian polity known locally as Egrisi, home of the legendary Golden Fleece and the Colchian people, ancestors of the modern Laz and Mingrelian Georgians.
Weakened and fragmented in the Hellenistic period; the region came under Pontic overlordship in the mid-2nd century BC before later re-emerging as the kingdom/principality of Lazica.
Full narrative history of Georgia opening with Colchis and Iberia as the two ancient Georgian polities.