COLCHIS, in ancient geography, a nearly triangular district of Asia Minor, at the eastern extremity of the Black Sea, was bounded on the N. by the Caucasus, which separated it from Asiatic Sarmatia, E. by Iberia and the Montes Moschici, S. by Armenia and part of Pontus j and W. by the Euxine. The ancient district is represented by the modern province of Mingrelia, and part of Abasia. The name of Colchis is first found applied to this country by the Greek poets Aeschylus and Pindar. It was celebrated in Greek mythology as the destination of the Argonauts, the residence of Medea, and the special domain of sorcery. At a remote period it seems to have been incorporated with the Persian empire, though the inhabitants ultimately erected their territory into an independent state; and in l this condition it was found by Alexander the Great, when he invaded Persia. From this time till the era of the Mithridatic wars nothing is known of the history of Colchis. At the time of the Roman invasion it seems to have paid a nominal homage to Mithridates, and to have been ruled over by Machares, the second son of that monarch. On the defeat of Mithridates by Pompey, it became a Roman province. After the death of Pompey, Pharnaces, the son of Mithridates, rose in rebellion against the Roman yoke, subdued Colchis and Armenia, and made head, though but for a short time, against the Roman arms. After this Colchis was incorporated with Pontus, and the Colchians are not again alluded to in ancient history till the 6th century, when, along with the Abasei, they joined Chosroes I., king of Persia, in his war against Justinian. Colchis was inhabited by a number of tribes whose settlements lay chiefly along the shore of the Black Sea. The chief of these were the Lazi, Moschi, Apsidae, Abasci, ...