As the Abasgi grew in relative strength, the name Abasgia came to denote a larger area populated by various ethnic groups including Mingrelian- and Svan-speaking South Caucasian tribes, and subordinated to the Byzantine-appointed princes (Greek: "archon", Georgian: "eristavi") who resided in Anacopia and were viewed as major champions of the empire's political and cultural influence in the western Caucasus. The Arabs penetrated the area in the 730s, but did not subdue it; about then the term "Abkhazeti" ("the land of the Abkhazians") first appeared in the Georgian annals, giving rise to the name "Abkhazia", which is used today in most foreign languages.