ISSN 2029–2236 (print) ISSN 2029–2244 (online) SOCIALINIŲ MOKSLŲ STUDIJOS SOCIETAL STUDIES 2012, 4(3), p. 923–935. Socialinių mokslų studijos/Societal Studies  Mykolo Romerio universitetas, 2012  Mykolas Romeris University, 2012 ISSN 2029–2236 (print), ISSN 2029–2244 (online) http://www.mruni.eu/lt/mokslo_darbai/SMS/ http://www.mruni.eu/en/mokslo_darbai/SMS/ THE SUBJECT OF HOLINESS IN GEORGIAN HAGIOGRAPHIC TEXTS Maka Elbakidze Shota Rustaveli Institute of Georgian Literature 5, Kostava str., 0108 Tbilisi, Georgia Telephone (+995 32) 999 415 E-mail: litinst@litinstituti.ge Received on 14 May, 2012; accepted on 21 July, 2012 Abstract. Te subject of our interest is consideration of the issue of sainthood in Georgian hagiographic texts, particularly in the classical specimen of Georgian literature—Te Life of St. Gregory of Khandzta from A.D. 951, which manifests four essential components of the hagiographical pattern: 1. Distinctiveness of a saint; 2. Consideration of the saint’s artistic image as a “spiritual hero” (In this case special attention is paid to artistic and aesthetic function of the miracle); 3. Te main aspects of ascetic life; 4. Te saint’s self-sacrifce, which once more approves the idea of the triumph of good over evil. Te juxtaposition of Te Life of St. Gregory of Khandzta with Byzantine or Roman hagiographic texts leads one to the conclusion that defnite stereotypes of the compositional pattern took shape at the dawn of Christian literature, with the Bible being their source. Keywords: Georgian literature, hagiography, genre of the “Lives”, compositional pattern, saint, asceticism, miracles.