tornike came from a notable georgian noble family and was in the immediate circles of the ruling dynasty of the bagrationi. his father, chordvaneli, had been in the suite of the georgian prince ashot ii kuropalates who had paid a visit to the byzantine emperor constantine porphyrogennetos in constantinople in c. 950. three of his nephews had military careers and one of them, varazvache, held a post of "katepano" (military governor) of the significant byzantine eastern outpost edessa in 1037-8.