Why was translation important to the development of Old Georgian literature?

Translation played a foundational role in the development of Old Georgian literature by facilitating the emergence of a rich literary language alongside the adoption of Christianity in the 4th century. This process involved a massive, simultaneous effort to translate essential texts from Greek, Armenian, and Syriac into Georgian.1

These translation efforts were instrumental in establishing an original body of religious literature, which served as the cornerstone of the Georgian literary tradition. By importing and adapting these foreign ecclesiastical works, Georgian writers were able to cultivate the linguistic and stylistic tools necessary for their own burgeoning literary culture. This period of translation laid the groundwork for the subsequent development of diverse genres, including lyrical hymns, biographies of Church Fathers, and historiography, which reached their peak in the 10th century.1