Russian-Byzantine wars. Prophetic Oleg, Prince

Plan
Introduction
1 Position of Byzantium
2 Oleg's trek through the Tale of Bygone Years
3 Treaty of 907
4 Information about Oleg’s campaign from other sources
5 Interpretations
6 Dating of the campaign
Bibliography
Russian-Byzantine War of 907

Introduction

The Russian-Byzantine War of 907 is the legendary victorious campaign of the ancient Russian prince Oleg against Constantinople.

The campaign is described in detail in the Tale of Bygone Years (early 12th century) and ended with the signing of a peace treaty in 907. Widely known in Russian society by the phrase: “The prophetic Oleg nailed his shield on the gates of Constantinople.” However, this raid is not mentioned in any Byzantine or other source, except for the Old Russian chronicles. In 911, a new Russian-Byzantine treaty was concluded, the authenticity of which is not questioned.

1. Position of Byzantium

At the beginning of the 10th century, Byzantium was ruled by Emperor Leo VI the Philosopher, who came into conflict with the church hierarchs over his 4th marriage. The main enemy of Byzantium during this period of time were the Saracens, who attacked Byzantine possessions in Asia Minor and carried out sea raids from the south. The most famous raid was the capture of the Greek city of Thessalonica by the pirate Leo of Tripoli in July 904. The Byzantine fleet under the command of Drungarius Imerius was unable to interfere with the Saracen flotilla, which consisted of only 54 ships.

Taking advantage of the weakness of the empire, in the same year 904, the Bulgarian Tsar Simeon I took away part of the lands from Byzantium, which bought off with an annual tribute, regularly paying it until 913. In Europe at the beginning of the 10th century, a new force appeared, the Hungarians, who settled in Pannonia, defeating the Slavic state of Great Moravia. European chronicles would soon be filled with reports of Hungarian raids on neighboring countries, but in the 900s they posed a threat primarily to the Bulgarian kingdom, and Byzantine diplomacy tried to set them against Simeon I.

Of the events close in time to 907, the Byzantine chronicles note the victory of their fleet over the Saracen fleet in October 906. In 907 and the following years, no major battles or wars were noted near Constantinople. The next battle took place in October 911 near Crete, in which the Byzantine fleet was defeated by the Saracens. 700 Rus fought for the Byzantines. In the summer of 913, the Bulgarian Tsar Simeon I made a victorious campaign under the walls of Constantinople, which ended in a peace treaty beneficial for the Bulgarians.

2. Oleg’s trek through the “Tale of Bygone Years”

“The Tale of Bygone Years,” the earliest surviving ancient Russian chronicle (beginning of the 12th century), begins the story of the campaign against Constantinople with a listing of the Slavic and Finno-Ugric peoples and tribes that Oleg attracted to the campaign:

“Per year 6415 (907). Oleg went against the Greeks, leaving Igor in Kyiv; He took with him many Varangians, and Slavs, and Chuds, and Krivichi, and Meryu, and Drevlyans, and Radimichi, and Polans, and Northerners, and Vyatichi, and Croats, and Dulebs, and Tivertsy, known as interpreters: these were all called Greeks "Great Scythia". And with all these Oleg went on horses and in ships; and there were 2000 ships. And he came to Constantinople: the Greeks closed the Court, and the city was closed. And Oleg went ashore and began to fight, and committed many murders to the Greeks in the vicinity of the city, and broke many chambers, and burned churches. And those who were captured, some were dissected, others were tortured, others were shot, and some were thrown into the sea, and the Russians did many other evils to the Greeks, as enemies usually do.”

According to the chronicle, part of the army moved along the shore on horses, the other along the sea on 2 thousand ships, each of which could accommodate 40 people. However, the text of the Novgorod Chronicle of the younger edition, which, according to the historian Shakhmatov, contains in its original form part of the earliest unpreserved chronicle (Initial Code), does not speak of 2 thousand ships, but of 100 or 200 ships (“ And Oleg commanded to give tribute to the 100th, 200th ship..."). Historians avoid interpreting the unclear phrase of the initial chronicler of the 11th century, but from it the figure of 2000 ships is easily deduced by the later author of the Tale of Bygone Years (PVL). Otherwise, the author of the PVL follows the story of the Initial Code with a more precise indication of dates. The round figure of 200 ships could have been taken from the story of an earlier Russian raid on Constantinople in 860.

Then the legends begin in the description of the hike. Oleg put his ships on wheels and, with a fair wind, moved across the field to Constantinople. The frightened Greeks asked for peace and brought out poisoned wine and food, which Oleg did not accept. Then the Greeks agreed to Oleg’s conditions: pay 12 hryvnia to each soldier, make separate payments in favor of the princes of Kyiv, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl, Polotsk, Rostov, Lyubech and other cities. Novgorod was not included in the list of cities, which is consistent with the archaeological date of the city's formation (after 931). According to the PVL, the tribute is also indicated at 12 hryvnia " on the oarlock", which leaves the mounted participants of the campaign without remuneration.

In addition to one-time payments, a permanent tribute was imposed on Byzantium and an agreement was concluded (agreement of 907) regulating the stay and trade of Russian merchants in Byzantium. After mutual vows, Oleg hung a shield on the gates of Constantinople as a sign of victory, then ordered the Greeks to sew sails: for Rus' from pavolok (golden-woven silk), for the Slavs from coprina (plain silk). According to the chronicle, upon returning to Kyiv with rich booty, the people nicknamed Oleg the Prophetic.

Some analogy with sails made of precious fabrics can be traced in the Scandinavian saga about the future Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason, recorded by the monk Odd at the end of the 12th century. Olaf served under Prince Vladimir in the 980s and made a trip to Byzantium, according to the saga, for baptism. One of his military raids is described as follows: “ They say that after one great victory he turned home to Gardy [Rus]; They sailed then with such great pomp and magnificence that they had sails on their ships made of precious materials, and their tents were the same. »

If the ancient Russian chronicler talks about Rus'’s campaign against Constantinople in 860 exclusively according to Byzantine sources (Amartol’s chronicle), then the story about the campaign in 907 is based only on local oral traditions, some motives of which are reflected in the Scandinavian sagas. Although the legends themselves may not correspond to historical reality, they indicate that the campaign took place, although it apparently developed differently than the chronicle describes it.

3. Treaty of 907

According to the PVL, after the victory, Oleg concluded peace in Constantinople on very favorable terms. Russians coming to the city were actually supported by the Byzantine authorities and did not pay taxes. The contract is retold in words, the formal procedural content is omitted.

In September 911 (according to the PVL in 912 due to the beginning of the new year on March 1), a new agreement was concluded, a list of which is given in full in the chronicle. The content of the 907 treaty does not overlap in any way with the 911 treaty, with the exception of the names of the ambassadors, but almost literally reproduces a fragment from the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 944. The table below conveys the text of the 907 treaty in accordance with fragments from later Russian-Byzantine treaties.

Treaty of 907	Treaties 911, 944, 971
Participants: Karl, Farlaf, Vermud, Rulav and Stemid (« Karla Farlof sent an ambassador to them in the city. Velmuda. and Stemid »)	Treaty of 911 Participants: Karl, Farlaf, Veremud, Rulav, Stemid and 10 more names. " We are from the Russian family. Carls. inegeld farlof. veremud. rulav. goads \| Rowald. karn. frelav. rual. asset. truan li\|doul fost. Stemid. the same messages from the olg of the Grand Duke of Rouska and from all those under his arm of the bright and great princes. and his great boyars. »
When the Russians come, let them take as much allowance for the ambassadors as they want; and if merchants come, let them take monthly food for 6 months: bread, wine, meat, fish and fruits. And let them give them a bathhouse - as much as they want [...] and trade as much as they need, without paying any fees...	no compliance in contracts
Treaty of 944 And those Russians who depart from here, let them take from us everything they need: food for the journey and what the boats need [...] If the Russians do not come for trade, then let them not take months. Let the prince punish his ambassadors and the Russians who come here so that they do not commit atrocities in the villages and in our country. And when they come, let them live near the church of St. Mammoth, and then we, the kings, will send your names to be written down, and let the ambassadors take a month, and the merchants a month, first those from the city of Kyiv, then from Chernigov, and from Pereyaslavl, and from other cities. Yes, they enter the city through one gate alone, accompanied by the Tsar’s husband without weapons, about 50 people...
Oleg and his husbands were taken to swear allegiance according to Russian law, and they swore by their weapons and Perun, their god, and Volos, the god of cattle, and established peace.	Treaty of 971 ... let [...] be cursed by the god in whom we believe - in Perun and Volos, the god of cattle, and let us be yellow as gold, and let us be flogged with our weapons.

4. Information about Oleg’s campaign from other sources

The Novgorod First Chronicle of the younger edition sets out events differently, naming two campaigns against Byzantium by Igor and his commander Oleg, dating them to 920 and 922:

And he had a governor named Oleg, a wise and brave man... In the summer of 6430. Oleg went to Greece and came to Tsaryugrad; and Greece closed Susud, and shut the city.

Moreover, the description of the campaign of 920 reproduces the well-documented campaign of Prince Igor in 941.

The Byzantine chronicle of Pseudo-Simeon (last third of the 10th century) tells about the Dews (Rus):

“The Ros, or also the Dromites, received their name from a certain powerful Ros, after they managed to escape the consequences of what the oracles predicted about them, thanks to some warning or divine illumination of the one who ruled over them. They were called Dromites because they could move quickly.”

Russian-Byzantine War of 907


	Constantinople, Byzantium
	Victory of Kievan Rus
Opponents
Byzantine Empire	Kievan Rus
Commanders
	Prophetic Oleg
Strengths of the parties
Unknown	Unknown

Unknown	Unknown

Russian-Byzantine War of 907- the legendary campaign of the ancient Russian prince Oleg to Constantinople.

Position of Byzantium

Taking advantage of the weakness of the empire, in the same year 904, the Bulgarian Tsar Simeon I took away part of the lands from Byzantium, which bought off with an annual tribute, regularly paying it until 913. In Europe at the beginning of the 10th century, a new force appeared, the Hungarians, who settled in Pannonia, defeating the Slavic state of Great Moravia. Soon European chronicles would be filled with reports of Hungarian raids on neighboring countries, but in the early 900s they posed a threat primarily to the Bulgarian kingdom, and Byzantine diplomacy tried to set them against Simeon I.

Although Byzantine sources do not record any conflicts with the Rus after the raid on Constantinople in 860, there is indirect evidence that raids continued later. Thus, in his military manual (written around 905) in the chapter on naval battles, Emperor Leo VI noted that the hostile people, “the so-called northern Scythians” (the name of the Rus in the Byzantine tradition), use small fast ships, since they cannot otherwise get out of rivers into the Black Sea.

Oleg's hike through The Tale of Bygone Years

Then the legends begin in the description of the hike. Oleg put his ships on wheels and, with a fair wind, moved across the field to Constantinople. The frightened Greeks asked for peace and brought out poisoned wine and food, which Oleg did not accept. Then the Greeks agreed to Oleg’s conditions: pay 12 hryvnia to each soldier, make separate payments in favor of the princes of Kyiv, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl, Polotsk, Rostov, Lyubech and other cities. Novgorod was not included in the list of cities. According to the PVL, the tribute is also indicated at 12 hryvnia " on the oarlock", which leaves the mounted participants of the campaign without remuneration.

Treaty of 907

Treaty of 907	Treaties 911, 944, 971
Participants: Karl, Farlaf, Vermud, Rulav and Stemid (« Karla Farlof sent an ambassador to them in the city. Velmuda. and Stemid»)	Treaty of 911 Participants: Karl, Farlaf, Veremud, Rulav, Stemid and 10 more names. « We are from the Russian family. Carls. inegeld farlof. veremud. rulav. goads \| Rowald. karn. frelav. rual. asset. truan li\|doul fost. Stemid. the same messages from the olg of the Grand Duke of Rouska and from all those under his arm of the bright and great princes. and his great boyars.»
When the Russians come, let them take as much allowance for the ambassadors as they want; and if merchants come, let them take monthly food for 6 months: bread, wine, meat, fish and fruits. And let them give them a bathhouse - as much as they want […] and trade as much as they need, without paying any fees...	no compliance in contracts
When the Russians go home, let them take food, anchors, ropes, sails and whatever else they need from the Tsar for the journey [...] If the Russians do not come for trade, then let them not take their monthly allowance; Let the Russian prince, by decree, prohibit the Russians who come here from committing atrocities in the villages and in our country. Let the Russians who come here live near the church of St. Mammoth, and send them from our kingdom, and write down their names, then they will take their monthly allowance - first those who came from Kiev, then from Chernigov, and from Pereyaslavl, and from other cities . And let them enter the city only through one gate, accompanied by the royal husband, without weapons, 50 people each...	Treaty of 944 And those Russians who depart from here, let them take from us everything they need: food for the journey and what the boats need […] If the Russians do not come for trade, then let them not take months. Let the prince punish his ambassadors and the Russians who come here so that they do not commit atrocities in the villages and in our country. And when they come, let them live near the church of St. Mammoth, and then we, the kings, will send your names to be written down, and let the ambassadors take a month, and the merchants a month, first those from the city of Kyiv, then from Chernigov, and from Pereyaslavl, and from other cities. Yes, they enter the city through one gate alone, accompanied by the Tsar’s husband without weapons, 50 people each...
Oleg and his husbands were taken to swear allegiance according to Russian law, and they swore by their weapons and Perun, their god, and Volos, the god of cattle, and established peace.	Treaty of 971 ... let […] we be cursed by the god in whom we believe - in Perun and Volos, the god of cattle, and let us be yellow as gold, and let us be flogged with our own weapons.

Information about Oleg’s campaign from other sources

The Novgorod First Chronicle of the younger edition sets out events differently, naming two campaigns against Byzantium by Igor and his commander Oleg, dating them to 920 and 922:

Moreover, the description of the campaign of 920 reproduces the well-documented campaign of Prince Igor in 941.

The Byzantine chronicle of Pseudo-Simeon (last third of the 10th century) tells about the Dews (Rus):

In this fragment, some researchers are ready to see elements similar to the Magi’s prediction of the coming death of Oleg, and in Rosa himself - of the Prophetic Oleg. In popular literature, V. D. Nikolaev’s constructions about the raid of the Ros-Dromites on Byzantium in 904 are widely cited. The Rosses, according to Nikolaev (Pseudo-Simeon does not mention this), were defeated at Cape Tricephalus by the Byzantine admiral John Radin, and only part of them escaped from the “Greek fire” thanks to the insight of their leader.

A.G. Kuzmin, examining the text of the “Tale of Bygone Years” about Prince Oleg, suggested that the chronicler used Greek or Bulgarian sources about Oleg’s campaign. The chronicler quotes the words of the Byzantines: “ This is not Oleg, but Saint Dmitry, sent to us by God.” These words may indicate the events of 904, when Constantinople did not provide assistance to the city of Thessalonica, whose patron was Demetrius of Thessalonica, as a result of which the city’s inhabitants were massacred and only part of them were redeemed from the hands of Arab pirates. In a phrase of the Byzantines about St., incomprehensible from the context. Dmitry could contain a hint of Dmitry's revenge on Constantinople, which was guilty of the sack of Thessalonica.

Interpretations

The campaign is known exclusively from Russian sources; the Byzantine ones remain silent about it. Only in the “History” of Leo the Deacon is there evidence of the reality of not so much the campaign as the peace treaty: John Tzimiskes, during negotiations with Svyatoslav, reminds him, like Prince Igor, “ despising the oath agreement", attacked the Byzantine capital. Here, according to M. Ya. Syuzyumov and S. A. Ivanov, as well as A. A. Vasiliev, this refers to Oleg’s treaty of 911, concluded after the campaign of 907 and known from the Tale of Bygone Years.

G. G. Litavrin found the agreement to be such that it “ without military pressure from Rus' was absolutely impossible" When the empire concluded an agreement with another country, the main copy of the contractual document was drawn up on behalf of the emperor, then the same in Greek, but on behalf of the ruler of the other country, and this document was translated into the language of the people with whom the agreement was being made. The famous linguist, academician S.P. Obnorsky concluded that the text of the 911 treaty was translated, replete with Greekisms and violations of the requirements of Russian syntax.

Thus, the texts of the treaties included in the Tale of Bygone Years indicate that the campaign was not a complete fiction. Some historians are inclined to explain the silence of Byzantine sources by the incorrect dating of the war in the Tale. There have been attempts to connect it with the raid of the "Rus-Dromites" in 904, at a time when Byzantium was fighting the pirate Leo of Tripoli. The most likely hypothesis was put forward by B. A. Rybakov and L.N. Gumilev: the description of the 907 campaign in the Tale actually refers to the war of 860, which was replaced by a message about the unsuccessful raid of Askold and Dir in 866, inspired by Byzantine legends about the miraculous deliverance of Christians from hostile pagans.

This is all the more likely since Rus', from the beginning of the 10th century, appears in Greek texts as an ally of Byzantium. Patriarch Nicholas the Mystic (901-906 and 912-925) threatens Bulgaria with Russian invasion; 700 Russian mercenaries took part in the unsuccessful Byzantine expedition to Crete in 911.

In his work devoted to the campaign of the Prophetic Oleg to Constantinople, Byzantine scholar A. A. Vasiliev came to the conclusion that Oleg’s raid was not an invention of the ancient Russian chronicler, who, in the tradition of the Scandinavian heroic sagas, turned an ordinary predatory raid on Byzantine possessions into an epoch-making event.

Dating of the campaign

In addition to the question of whether Oleg’s campaign described in the “Tale of Bygone Years” took place, there is the problem of dating such a campaign.

The date of 907 in the “Tale of Bygone Years” is conditional and arose as a result of complex calculations by chroniclers when combining the absolute and relative chronology of sources that had dates indicated in different eras. Initially, the story about Oleg’s reign had no dating, so later the story was divided into parts that gravitated towards the dates of the beginning and end of Oleg’s reign.

According to A.G. Kuzmin, initially the information about the end of Oleg’s reign was dated in the “Tale of Bygone Years” in 6415 (907), but when compared with the date of the treaty of 911, the dating was changed, so two chronicle articles appeared that spoke about the campaign, the conclusion agreement and the death of Oleg. Thus, two agreements appeared in the chronicle (the text and its “retelling”). Thus, the events described in the articles of 907 and 912 were initially not dated in any way, but were connected, as, for example, in the text of the “Joachim Chronicle”, which does not contain absolute dating and information about the death of the prince: “After that, Oleg possessed that entire country, conquered many peoples, went to fight against the Greeks by sea and forced them to buy peace, and returned with great honor and many riches.”

According to indirect data, the campaign dates back to 904-909. The lower date, 904, is determined by the news of the allied Ros-Dromites and the Arab attack on Thessaloniki. The upper date, 909-910, is determined by the news of the Rus' reconnaissance campaign in the Caspian Sea, which was followed by a campaign in 913. The Rus who made this campaign could not pass through the Black and Azov Seas to the Don without allied relations with Byzantium. The union of Rus' and Byzantium by 909-910 is confirmed by the data of Constantine Porphyrogenitus (mid-10th century) on the participation of Russian auxiliary ships in the Cretan expedition of 910.

At the same time, the Tale of Bygone Years also contains a relative dating of the campaign. The text says that the prophecy of the Magi about Oleg’s death came true in the fifth summer after his campaign against Constantinople. Oleg’s “death” can be dated no later than July 912 (the sacrifice mentioned by V.N. Tatishchev when Halley’s Comet appeared), or the autumn of this year indicated in the chronicle (the time of Polyudya). The campaign of 913 put an end to Oleg’s career (he died or went north). Consequently, the campaign against Byzantium took place in 907-908, and the chronicler was not mistaken in his calculations. The accuracy of the relative date indicated in the legend is confirmed by another place in the Tale - in the year 1071 it is said that a sorcerer appeared in Kyiv: “...He told people that in the fifth year the Dnieper would flow backward and that the lands would begin to move” Apparently, a five-year period of prophecy was common for the Magi.

The dating of the campaign is also confirmed by the dynamics of Byzantine-Bulgarian relations. In 904, the Bulgarian Tsar Simeon I made a campaign against Thessalonica, plundered by the Arabs, trying to expand his possessions. In 910-911 he is going to start a war with Byzantium, but he will start it only in 913. The Byzantines used the Russian fleet as one of the deterrents against the Bulgarians.

The first truly big campaign of the Russians against the Eastern Roman Empire was carried out by Prince Oleg. By that time, a clear military organization had already formed in Ancient Rus', which then existed for several centuries.

The first truly big campaign of the Russians against the Eastern Roman Empire was carried out by Prince Oleg. By that time, a clear military organization had already formed in Ancient Rus', which then existed for several centuries.

The basis of the Old Russian state was the rural community, which in the chronicles is called “rope” or “world”. This made it possible to gather a large militia of Slavic tribes. The chronicler, speaking about the state structure of Rus' in ancient times, reported the following:

The "Grand Duke of Russia" was the head of state. And although the people's council of free community members limited his supreme power, he could sometimes ignore the opinion of the council. Management was carried out by “the bright and great princes and his (the prince’s) great boyars.”

The basis of the Old Russian army was the princely squads - the “eldest” of the most experienced warriors and the “younger” of the “youths”. The squads of the “princely men” also went to war, that is, the boyars, allies from among the steppe inhabitants and the militia of the “warriors”, which was exhibited by rural communities and cities. The “voi” militias constituted a foot army, since the princes’ squads were mounted.

The armament of the Rus consisted of double-edged swords and spears, axes and maces, and “boot” knives. For protective purposes, helmets and large wooden shields were common. As a rule, only warriors had chain mail (chain mail armor). Since ancient times, the Slavs had battle banners and military music.

There was no military fleet in Ancient Rus'. But for trips along rivers and seas, large “propelled” boats were built, which went with oars and sails. Such seaworthy boats could accommodate 40-60 people with weapons and supplies.

Prince Oleg made his famous campaign against Constantinople in 907. There is no doubt that this enormous military undertaking required a great deal of preparation. According to the chronicler, the Russian army set sail on two thousand boats. It can be assumed that Olegov’s army numbered approximately 80 thousand warriors. But most likely, the Russian army was less than half of this figure, even taking into account the allied steppe cavalry.

The boat flotilla, gathered from all over Ancient Rus' near Kiev, went down the Dnieper and moved towards Constantinople along the shores of the Pontus (Black Sea). The cavalry walked along the shore in full view of the flotilla.

When the Russians approached Constantinople, the foot army went ashore, pulling the boats onto land. A battle took place under the walls of the Byzantine capital. The chronicler reports about it this way: Prince Oleg “having fought near the city and committed a lot of murder to the Greeks.” After the first clash with the Rus, the Byzantines took refuge behind the fortress walls, and their enemy began to devastate the outskirts of Constantinople.

The siege threatened to drag on, and strong autumn storms began at sea. Prince Oleg decided to intimidate the “Greeks”. He ordered the boats to be put on rollers (wheels), and with a fair wind, raising all the sails, the Russian boat army approached the city itself. There are reports that at the same time the Rus released a large number of kites at the Byzantines.

It was not these “intimidations” that forced the Byzantines to begin negotiations with Prince Oleg, but defeat in the field under the walls of Constantinople and a dense siege from sea and land. In addition, the “Greeks” became aware for certain that the Russians had begun preparations for the assault on the city.

During the negotiations, Prince Oleg demanded that Byzantium pay him 12 hryvnia for each warrior and give him “rules” for all Russian cities. That is, we were talking about military indemnity, which the winner imposed on the defeated side.

The Byzantines also agreed to provide a number of benefits to Russian merchants: the right to duty-free trade during a six-month stay in Constantinople, free food and washing in Greek baths. In addition, the city authorities pledged to provide merchants from Rus' with food and various ship equipment for their return journey.

Only on such conditions did Prince Oleg lead his army of boats back to Rus'. The chronicler reports that after concluding a “shameful” peace treaty for the Eastern Roman Empire, the Rus “hung their shields in the gates, showing victory, and went to Constantinople.” The fact that Prince Oleg nailed his shield on the Constantinople gates was direct proof of the victory of the 907 campaign.

(based on materials from the Children's Military Encyclopedia)

In 906, the Kiev prince Oleg gathered a huge army and went on a military campaign against the city of Constantinople. The princely army included various Slavic tribes, Mer, Chud, as well as Varangians. Going to war against Byzantium, Prince Oleg pursued the following goals: strengthening the authority of Rus', as well as the Kyiv prince as a large and powerful neighbor, as well as rich booty.

At the same time, most of the princely squad went to Constantinople in “perches” (small ships), and the other part went there overland on horseback. The princely troops reached Constantinople without resistance, after which they began to ravage the outskirts of this city. However, the very part that went by water could not get close to the city.

As soon as they saw the princely fleet, the Byzantines blocked the bay with a chain, and it was for this reason that the ships remained out of use. Then Prince Oleg decides to use a trick. From the chronicle we know that he puts his ships on wheels, which he orders to do in advance, and then orders the ships to straighten their sails and go at full speed to the gates of the city by land. Seeing that the princely fleet was moving overland towards Constantinople, the Greeks decided to surrender the siege and pay off the Kyiv prince with rich gifts.

Oleg's military campaign against Constantinople ended very successfully. Byzantium paid the prince of Kyiv a large tribute, which allowed him to generously reward his own army with gold, numbering, according to various sources, up to eighty thousand people. In addition, Byzantium actually pledged to support Russian ambassadors, as well as feed Russian merchants for a six-month period. The Greeks also pledged not to interfere with the movement of Russian merchants around Constantinople (including visiting the magnificent baths of Constantinople), as well as to carry out merchant activities (trade) without paying duties. As a sign of his own victory, the Kiev prince Oleg nails his shield to the gates of Constantinople, after which he returns home with his retinue.

Upon returning to Kyiv, Prince Oleg was nicknamed the Prophetic, although there are several versions that this nickname has Nordic roots and dates back to an earlier period in the life of this prince.

Prince Oleg's military campaign against Byzantium strengthened the authority of the Kyiv principality, and also showed the strength and strategic approach of its ruler to one of the most powerful states.

Prophetic Oleg, an ancient Russian prince, his name is mentioned in historical documents, but most of the information about his life and activities has come to us in the form of folk tales, in which real events are closely intertwined with legendary ones. The story about Oleg the Prophet in the chronicle “The Tale of Bygone Years” is legendary. The chronicle contains a lot of materials: tales, stories, legends, oral poetic traditions about various historical figures and events.

Rurik died in 879. He bequeathed the princedom to Oleg and left it in the care of his son, Igor. Oleg ruled in Novgorod for three years, and then, having gathered a strong squad and taking Igor with him, he set off to conquer new lands. Oleg was an outstanding commander, and his wisdom and caution were known to everyone, so in the eyes of the people he became a great man.

The Russian land was inhabited by various tribes at that time. The chronicle names more than ten Slavic tribes: Vyatichi, Krivichi, Polyans, Severians, Radimichi and others. Neighboring them were the Finno-Ugric tribes: Chud, Ves, Merya, Muroma. Rus' did not have clear borders and did not know uniform laws. The Kiev prince ruled only in some points with trade routes. He also collected tribute from subject Slavic and non-Slavic tribes. Payment of tribute and recognition of the supreme power of Kyiv at that time constituted the entire essence of state power.

The collected tribute had to be sold in neighboring countries - the Caliphate and Byzantium. Rus' received considerable profits from this trade and was vitally interested in its development. The annual influx of thousands of barbarian merchants into the capital created many inconveniences for the Byzantines. Hence came the desire to limit and constrain Russian trade.

For Rus', trade was a state matter, and therefore the response to the actions of the Byzantine authorities was given at the state level.

Oleg and his army moved from north to south by water. He sailed along Lake Ilmen, then along the Lovati River and the Western Dvina, and then, dragging the boats, along the Dnieper. Along the way, Oleg conquered the cities of Smolensk and Lyubech, leaving his governors there.

Finally, Oleg arrived in the rich and fertile lands of the glades and saw the large, beautiful city of Kyiv. Two princes reigned in Kyiv - Askold and Dir. Both of them came from Novgorod and once, like Oleg, served Prince Rurik. Oleg decided to capture Kyiv, but, seeing that the city was well fortified, he used cunning rather than force.

He left most of his army behind, and he himself with a small squad, on one boat, approached the very Kiev walls and sent a messenger to Askold and Dir: “We are Varangian merchants, we are carrying a lot of good goods. Let the Kyiv princes come to see - maybe what will they buy?

Askold and Dir believed that a peaceful merchant caravan had arrived in Kyiv, and went ashore without any security.

Oleg ordered the soldiers who were with him to lie down at the bottom of the boat for the time being. When the Kyiv princes came close, he rose to meet them and said: “You are not of a princely family, but I am a prince, and Igor, the son of Rurik, is with me. I, and not you, should reign here!” He gave a sign to his soldiers - and they instantly killed Askold and Dir with their swords.

Oleg entered the city as a winner. The location of Kyiv seemed very convenient to Oleg, and he moved there with his squad, declaring: “Let Kyiv be the mother of Russian cities!” Having established himself on the Kiev throne, he continued the work of conquering neighboring lands and conquering the tribes inhabiting them. Oleg subjugated the Drevlyans, northerners, and Radimichi and imposed tribute on them. A huge territory came under his rule, on which he founded many cities. This is how the great Principality of Kiev - Kievan Rus - was formed.

When Igor became an adult, Oleg chose his wife - Olga (according to some sources, she was the daughter of Oleg himself), but did not cede the principality.

“Per year 6415 (907). Oleg went against the Greeks, leaving Igor in Kyiv; He took with him many Varangians, and Slovens, and Chuds, and Krivichi, and Meryu, and Drevlyans, and Radimichi, and Polans, and Northerners, and Vyatichi, and Croats, and Dulebs, and Tiverts... And with all these Oleg went on horses and in ships; and there were 2000 ships."

Having equipped two thousand ships and gathered a huge cavalry army, Oleg set out on a campaign. The ships sailed along the Dnieper, heading towards the Black Sea, and the horse army walked along the shore in full view of the fleet. Having reached the sea, the cavalry also boarded the ships, and Oleg’s army rushed to Constantinople.

“And Oleg came to Constantinople (Constantinople).” Here the capital of Byzantium appeared - its white fortress walls, golden domes of churches.

The Byzantine emperor Leo the Wise, seeing ships with countless troops, ordered the harbor to be hastily locked. Strong iron chains were stretched across the bay, blocking the path of Oleg's ships.

Oleg had to turn aside and land on the shore away from the city. Oleg's warriors ravaged the suburbs of Constantinople, burned houses and churches, killed civilians and threw them into the sea. A battle took place under the walls of the Byzantine capital. The chronicler reports about it this way: Prince Oleg “having fought near the city and committed a lot of murder to the Greeks.” But Oleg could not take Constantinople itself - the chains reliably protected the city from invasion from the sea. The siege of the city threatened to drag on, and then powerful autumn storms began at sea. Prince Oleg decided to scare the “Greeks”. Then he ordered his soldiers to make wheels, put the ships pulled ashore on them and raise the sails.

A fair wind blew and the ships rushed towards the city overland, as if across the sea. “The Greeks, seeing this, were frightened and said through the ambassadors to Oleg: “Do not destroy the city, we will give you whatever tribute you want.”

Having ended the war with a favorable peace, Oleg returned to Kyiv with glory. This campaign created for him enormous popularity in the eyes of not only the inhabitants of Rus', but also the Slavs, who nicknamed their prince the Prophetic.

The Byzantines admitted that they were defeated and agreed to pay Oleg whatever tribute he wished. Oleg demanded 12 hryvnia for each pair of oars on his two thousand ships, as well as tribute for Russian cities - Kyiv, Chernigov, Polotsk, Rostov and others.

The chronicler reports that after concluding a “shameful” peace treaty for the Eastern Roman Empire, the Rus “hung their shields at the gates, showing victory, and marched to Constantinople.” The fact that Prince Oleg nailed his shield on the gates of Constantinople was direct evidence of the successful campaign of 907.

An agreement on peace and unchanging friendship was concluded between Russia and Byzantium. The Byzantine Christians swore to observe this treaty by the holy cross, and Oleg and his warriors swore by the Slavic gods Perun and Veles.

Oleg returned to Kyiv with honor and great glory.

In 911, Oleg sent an embassy to Constantinople, which confirmed the “many years” of peace and concluded a new treaty. Compared to the 907 treaty, the mention of duty-free trade disappears from it. Oleg is referred to in the treaty as the “Grand Duke of Russia.”

Oleg reigned for many years. One day he called the soothsayers to him and asked: “What am I destined to die from?” And the wise men answered: “You, prince, will accept death from your beloved horse.” Oleg was saddened and said: “If this is so, then I will never sit on it again.” He ordered the horse to be taken away, fed and taken care of, and took another for himself.

A lot of time has passed. One day Oleg remembered his old horse and asked where he was now and if he was healthy. They answered the prince: “Three years have passed since your horse died.”

Then Oleg exclaimed: “The Magi lied: the horse from which they promised me death died, but I am alive!” He wanted to see the bones of his horse and rode into an open field, where they lay in the grass, washed by the rains and bleached by the sun.

The prince touched the horse’s skull with his foot and said, grinning: “Is it from this skull that I should die?” But then a poisonous snake crawled out of the horse’s skull and stung Oleg in the leg. And Oleg died from snake venom.