Paul Rycaut, The present state of the Greek and Armenian churches, written at the command of His Majesty 1678

Paul Rycaut/Ricaut (1629 – 1700) was an English diplomat and historian, who had written pioneering works on the history of the Ottoman Empire as well as the Orthodox Churches in the east. Born in Aylesford, Kent,  Rycaut graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1650. He was then employed as private secretary to the Engllish ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, and later served as a consul at Smyrna (present-day İzmir). Upon returning to England, he published The Present State of the Ottoman Empire (1665), The Present State of the Greek and Armenian Churches, Anno Christi 1678 Written at the Command of His Majesty (1679), and the two volume The Turkish History (1687).

Below is an excerpt from his work on the Greek and Armenian churches, which misinterprets the Georgian involvement in the Byzantine internal power struggles. Rycault describes "Johannes Turnicius" fighting the Persians but in reality Turnicious or Thornike Eristavi, a Georgian military and religious figure, played an important role in the suppression of the 976-979 rebellion led by Bardas Skleros.

Ibero [Georgian Orthodox Iviron Monastery on Mt. Athos] was built by Johannes Tur∣nicius a Georgian, born from the noble Stock of the Princes of that Country called Iberia, but growing old, and desirous of a retired life, came to Mount Athos, and there turned Kaloir, and became a Scholar of Athanasius. But the Prince of Iberia dying, and leaving a young Son to Reign, the Persians made an Incursion into that Country; against whom there being no General so able to lead an Army as this Turnicius, the Queen-Mother sent for him to undertake the Employment, and prevailing with him to accept thereof for service of his Country, he obtained the success desired, and returned triumphant to his own Nation: in reward of which the Queen offered him great Honours and Riches, but he refused more than what served him to complete his Monastery of Ibero; which though at first designed to receive no other than Iberians, yet now all others of the Greek Religion are accepted into it without distinction of Country or Nation.