| Saint John the Iberian | |
|---|---|
| Born | Georgia |
| Died | ~1002 AD Mount Athos |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church; Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Feast | July 12 |
John the Iberian[1](Georgian: იოანე) (also John the Georgian, John the Hagiorite, John Iweron) (died ca. 1002) was a Georgian monk, who is venerated as a saint. A member of the Georgian nobility, he was married and served as a military commander. However, he later became a monk in Bithynia and then traveled to Constantinople to rescue his son, Euthymius the Illuminator (Euthymius Opplyseren). Euthymius had been held as a hostage by the emperor.
John and his son attracted many followers, so they both retired to the monastery of Saint Athanasius on Mount Athos. They founded Iviron monastery with the help of John’s brother-in-law, John Thornikos, a retired general. John served as the first abbot of Iviron.