CHAPTER II

[Contents]CHAPTER IIVLADIMIR MONOMACHIn 1093 Vsevolod died at the age of sixty-four. His successor was Sviatopolk, son of Izyaslav, a weak and worthless man. Then came trouble and turmoil. “Those were days,” an old song says, “when strife was sown, when it grew as grain in the field grows, when men’s lives were shortened by princes’ struggles, when the cry of the earth-tiller was heard only rarely, but often the scream of the crows wrangling over corpses.” Monomach, the bravest and ablest of all the descendants of Yaroslav, might have taken the Kief throne had he wished, since the Kief people begged him to do so, but he feared civil war and refused, saying: “Sviatopolk’s father was older than my father; he reigned first in Kief.”Sviatopolk, greedy and cruel, showed his character quickly. Envoys from the Polovtsi came to sell peace to him. He cast them into prison. When the Polovtsi heard of this insult they made war with the utmost vigor.Sviatopolk then freed the envoys and asked for peace, but could not get it. He began at once to prepare for war on a small scale, but at last took advice and asked aid of Monomach, who came, bringing with him his brother. The three princes with their combined forces attacked the Polovtsi, though Monomach urged peace, since the enemy outnumbered them notably. The Russians were beaten in a savage encounter and Rostislav, Monomach’s brother, was drowned while crossing a river; Monomach himself had a narrow escape when struggling to save him. Elated with triumph, the Polovtsi hastened toward Kief, ravaging all before them. Sviatopolk, who had taken refuge in the capital, summoned fresh warriors and went out to meet the enemy a second time, but was again defeated and fled back to Kief with but two attendants.[34]As Sviatopolk now wished greatly for peace, he gave what the Polovtsi asked, and took the Khan’s daughter in marriage.Oleg, son of Sviatoslav of Chernigoff, one of the most resolute and active men of the eleventh century, came also with peace to sell, leading in a new army of Polovtsi. The crushing defeats which his cousins had suffered prepared the way for him. He laid siege to Chernigoff, harried the surrounding country and burned churches and villages. For eight days his Polovtsi worked at the stronghold, then Monomach sent a message to Oleg declaring that to stop bloodshed and ruin he would march from the city. Peace was made on that basis, and Oleg became master of Chernigoff.Pereyaslavl was now Monomach’s capital, and continued to be so during a time of sore trial and waiting. Pereyaslavl was the place which the Polovtsi struck first of all, when marching against Russia. Monomach lived three years in this exposed capital, where he suffered through lack of means and from ceaseless attacks of the Polovtsi. In 1095 two Khans, Itlar and Kitan, came to Pereyaslavl to sell peace, that is to take treasure for a promise of peace, and then break the promise.Itlar went with his men to the stronghold to pass the night there and was lodged at the house of Ratibor, a distinguished boyar.Kitan remained between the outer wall and the second one, and Monomach gave Sviatoslav, his son, to Kitan as hostage for the safety of Itlar.A man by the name of Slavata, who had come that day on some mission from Sviatopolk in Kief, persuaded Ratibor to get consent from Monomach to kill those Polovtsi. “How could I permit such a deed?” demanded Monomach; “I have given my oath to Itlar:” “The Polovtsi give oaths to thee, and then slay and ruin us on all sides. That they will do this time also.” Monomach yielded after much persuasion, and that night men were sent out who stole away Sviatoslav and then killed Kitan with his attendants. Itlar, at Ratibor’s house, knew nothing of what had happened. Next morning Ratibor’s men climbed to the top of the house in which Itlar was lodging, opened the roof and killed the Polovtsi warriors with arrows. Sviatopolk and Monomach moved at once to the steppe against the Polovtsi and sent to Oleg for aid in the struggle. Oleg went, but held aloof through[35]suspicion. The two princes were successful. The Polovtsi, taken unawares, were badly defeated. The princes seized men, cattle, horses and camels, and returned home with rich booty.Oleg’s conduct had angered Sviatopolk and Monomach seriously. “Thou art unwilling to join us against the vile enemy,” said they. “In thy house Itlar’s son is now living; give him to us, or else kill him.” Oleg would not yield to his cousins. Soon after they sent this message: “Come to Kief and take counsel, so that we may defend Russia together.” “I will not let priests and common men judge me,” replied Oleg. This answer enraged Kief people, and Sviatopolk and Monomach declared war against Oleg without another question. “Thou wilt not help us to crush pagans,” said they, “or meet us in council. Thou art plotting to strengthen the enemy. Let God judge between us.”1The two princes now marched on Chernigoff. Oleg fled thence to Starodub and shut himself in there. The princes laid siege to the place, and during thirty-three days they made vigorous onsets, but the defense was most resolute. At last the besieged were exhausted, and Oleg was obliged to beg for peace. “Go to David, thy brother,” replied the princes, “and come with him to Kief. Kief is the mother city. In Kief ruled our ancestors. Let us meet there and settle all questions.” Oleg kissed the cross in assent and set out for Smolensk to find David, but upon arriving at that city the people would not allow him to enter, so he turned and went back toward Ryazan.Since Oleg and David did not come to Kief to make peace and take counsel, the two princes marched on Smolensk. David now made peace with them, on what terms is unknown to us, while Oleg, with his own men and some warriors sent him by David in secret, advanced against Murom to expel Izyaslav, son of Monomach. Izyaslav, having a numerous force, went out to meet Oleg. “Go to Rostoff, which belonged to thy father,” said Izyaslav, “but leave my father’s portion.” “I wish to be here,” replied Oleg. Izyaslav now gave battle. A fierce struggle followed, and Izyaslav fell in the fight before the walls of Murom. The town then received Oleg, who hurried on straightway to Suzdal, which also surrendered. Of the citizens some he held captive while others were sent to various places in his own land,[36]but he seized all of their property. He appeared next in front of Rostoff, which surrendered at once, and he appointed men to collect taxes there.Oleg held now all lands connected with Murom. At this juncture there came to him an envoy from Mystislav, prince in Novgorod, with this message: “Leave Suzdal and Murom. Take not another man’s province. I will make peace between thee and my father, even though thou hast slain Izyaslav, my brother.”Oleg would not listen. After such a victory he had no desire for peace. He planned to take Novgorod, he had even sent forward his brother, Yaroslav, and was going to assist him. Mystislav sent men, who seized Oleg’s tax-gatherers. In view of this, Yaroslav warned Oleg to guard himself carefully, that forces were advancing from Novgorod. Oleg turned back to Rostoff, but Mystislav followed him. He then left Rostoff for Suzdal; his enemy hurried straight after him. Oleg burned Suzdal and fled to Murom. Mystislav reached Suzdal and halted. From Suzdal he sent an envoy again to make peace, if possible.Oleg, doubtful of victory through force, now sought it through strategy. He sent back words of seeming friendliness, and was watchful.Mystislav, thinking peace near, quartered most of his warriors at some distance in villages. While eating at midday, news was brought in that the enemy was advancing rapidly. Oleg had thought that a sudden feint would put his nephew to flight, but Mystislav held his ground firmly. He quickly called together all his men, and when Oleg was drawing near Suzdal, an army was ready for action in front of him. For four days were the two princes facing each other; neither one saw his way to begin the hard trial. Meanwhile Monomach was hurrying on reinforcements to Mystislav. These were Polovtsi commanded by another son, Vyacheslav. On the fifth day Oleg moved against Suzdal, and Mystislav, having placed the Polovtsi in ambush to attack at the critical moment, marched out to meet him.The battle began, and Mystislav with his Novgorod men was bearing down heavily on the enemy, when the Polovtsi, with Monomach’s banner above them, suddenly rushed at the flank of Oleg’s army. Panic fell on the warriors at sight of that banner;[37]they thought that Monomach was attacking in person, and they fled from the field in disorder.Oleg escaped to Murom, where he left his brother, Yaroslav, and then marched with all speed to Ryazan. Mystislav hastened toMurom, made peace with the people and freed the men seized by Oleg some time earlier, then he pursued Oleg farther. Oleg, learning that Mystislav was approaching, left Ryazan. Mystislav came to terms with the people of Ryazan, as he had with those of Murom. He now sent a second letter to Oleg, urging him to make peace with his cousins. Oleg made a favorable promise, and Mystislav wrote to Monomach on behalf of Oleg, who was his godfather. Because of this letter Monomach, anxious to put an end to the dispute between the princes, sent a mild, but firm message to Oleg. The result was a meeting of the princes in 1097 at Lubetch, a place east of the Dnieper on the land of Chernigoff.Seated on the same carpet, they agreed that in order to put an end to civil war, each prince, or group of princes, should receive the land held by his, or their father. Hence Sviatopolk received Kief with Turoff; to Vladimir went all that Vsevolod, his father, had held,—Smolensk with Rostoff and its settlements. Novgorod fell to Mystislav, who had conquered Oleg; Sviatoslav’s sons, Oleg, David, and Yaroslav, received the lands of Chernigoff. There now remained the izgoi, or orphans, the excluded princes: David, son of Igor, with Vassilko and Volodar, sons of Rostislav. To David was given Volynia, or all that was left of it after the paring of land from that province. Peremysl fell to Volodar, and Terebovl to Vassilko.When everything was thus amicably settled, the princes kissed the cross, and declared that if any one of them should raise hands on another all the rest would oppose that man, and the holy cross be against him. After that they kissed one another and parted.This meeting at Lubetch fixed succession to lands east of the Dnieper by giving what the father had held to the sons of Sviatoslav. But west of that river were, as we shall find, fruitful causes of trouble. In Polotsk was Vseslav, the restless wizard, unrecognized as yet, and dissatisfied. In Volynia was David, son of Igor; next to him were the sons of Rostislav, who had some land which David looked on as a part of Volynia. Vassilko, Prince of Terebovl,[38]was renowned for his activity and enterprise. He had led Polovtsi into Poland and was planning new exploits. Warriors from various tribes were coming even then to serve under him. David, perfidious and grasping, but no warrior, was in ceaseless dread of Vassilko. Before the council at Lubetch was ended, Turijak, Vassili, and Lazar, three men of David’s escort, had persuaded their master that Monomach and Vassilko had formed a plan and were ready for action against him. Vassilko, they said, was to take Volynia, David’s land, while Monomach would seize Kief from Sviatopolk. This tale threatened David with loss of rule, and death or exile. He knew well what wandering and seeking for power meant, so on the way back to Kief he explained this tale to Sviatopolk, and added: “Unless we seize Vassilko at once, thou wilt not stay in Kief, nor I in Volynia.” Since Sviatopolk was doubtful as to the truth of this statement, David developed his reasons for making it: “He killed thy brother Yaropolk, and is now plotting against both of us; he is at one with Monomach.”Sviatopolk was willing to have the deed done, but wished to make David entirely responsible for it. “If thou art speaking the truth,” said he, “God Himself will be witness on thy side. If untruth, He will judge thee.”When Vassilko reached Kief he was invited by Sviatopolk to the feast of his name’s day, but he excused himself, saying that his men had gone ahead and he must overtake them. On hearing this, David sent word to Vassilko as follows: “Offend not thy elder brother, remain for the feast.” Vassilko refused even this request. David turned then to Sviatopolk, with these words: “Here in thy capital he dares to disregard thee. What will the man do in his own land? He will take Pinsk and other towns, thou wilt think of my words then. Send men, seize Vassilko, and give him to me; I will care for him.”Sviatopolk yielded and sent an invitation to Vassilko to visit him at his home: “If thou wilt not stay for my festival,” said he, “visit me this morning, and sit awhile with David and me.”Vassilko consented and was on the way when a servant who met him gave warning: “Go not, O prince,” said he; “they will seize thee.” “God’s will be done,” replied Vassilko and making the sign of the cross, he rode on. Upon his arrival Sviatopolk came to the door of his palace, and greeted him with great[39]cordiality and kindness. Then David appeared, and Vassilko was invited to breakfast with his two kinsmen. Presently Sviatopolk withdrew, as if to give orders, and upon some pretext David followed him. The next moment men rushed into the room, seized Vassilko and put him in double fetters.Sviatopolk now sought the advice of Kief boyars and the clergy. The boyars answered evasively; the clergy took the side of Vassilko, and begged the Kief prince to free him. Sviatopolk seemed to waver. “This is all David’s work,” declared he, “I have no part in it.” David interfered at once, saying: “If thou set him free, we shall not remain princes.” “He is in thy care then,” replied Sviatopolk, and Vassilko was given up to David, who straightway had his eyes put out.Monomach wept when he heard of the tragedy. “Never before,” cried he, “has such a deed as this been done in the midst of us.” And at once he sent to Sviatoslav’s sons, Oleg and David, for aid in chastising the criminal. They came promptly, with forces to help him. The three princes then sent this query to Sviatopolk:“Why commit such iniquity; why cast a knife between princes? Why put thy brother’s eyes out? If he had offended, why not accuse him before us, we would have punished him if guilty. But tell us now what his fault was, what did he do to thee?”“David told me,” replied Sviatopolk, “that Vassilko slew Yaropolk, my brother, that he was preparing to kill me, that Monomach would take Kief and Vassilko Volynia. I had to care for my own life. Besides, it was David, not I, who blinded Vassilko. David took him and on the way home put his eyes out.”“Thou canst not lay thy own sins on David. Not in his land, but in thine, was the deed done,” retorted the envoys, and they left him.Next day, when the three princes were marching on Sviatopolk, he prepared to flee from his capital, but Kief men interposed and sent his stepmother to Monomach. With her went Nikolai the metropolitan, to beg in the name of the city not to make war upon Sviatopolk. They presented such reasons that Monomach was moved, and he sent this injunction: “Since David alone did this deed, as thou sayest, do thou, Sviatopolk, move against David, and either seize the man captive, or drive him out of his province.” Sviatopolk declared himself ready to do this.[40]Vassilko was meanwhile imprisoned by David, who took every town that he could during the winter and set out the next spring before Easter to seize all the lands that remained to his captive. He was met on the boundary, however, by Volodar, who was ready for battle, hence David took refuge in Bugsk. Volodar moved on that place without waiting, and sent this question to David: “Why hast thou done so much evil, and wilt not repent of it? See what immense harm thou hast wrought already.”David laid the guilt upon Sviatopolk. “Was it I who did the deed?” asked he. “Was it done in my capital? I feared to be treated as was thy brother. I was not free; I was at their mercy.” “God knows which man of you is guilty,” said Volodar. “Give me my brother and I will make peace with thee.” David was glad to be free of Vassilko, so peace was declared, and they parted. That peace, however, was not lasting, for David would not yield the towns which he had taken after blinding Vassilko, hence the two brothers attacked him at Vsevolod. But David escaped, shut himself in at Vladimir, and waited.Vsevolod was stormed and burned down. As the people fled from the blazing city, Vassilko commanded Volodar to kill them. Thus he avenged his own wrongs upon innocent people.Next the two brothers hastened to Vladimir. “We have come,” declared they to the citizens, “not against you, but to find Turijak, Vassili, and Lazar, those men who lied foully to David. Through listening to them he has done dreadful evil; yield those three up to us. If ye protect them, we must attack you.” The citizens counseled together and declared then to David: “Yield these three men; for thee we are ready to battle, but not for them.” “They are not here,” replied David. He had sent those attendants to Lutsk to save them. The people forced him to bring back Vassili and Lazar; Turijak had fled to Kief and thus saved himself. Peace was made, and next morning Vassili and Lazar were hanged on two gibbets, in front of Vladimir.Sviatopolk had promised to march against David and expel him, but all this time he was idle; he set out only after a year, and then he moved not directly, but to Brest on the boundary, where he made a Polish alliance. He feared to attack single-handed and acted only when David was beaten by Volodar and Vassilko; even then he wished the Poles to assist him. He also made[41]an alliance with Volodar and Vassilko, and kissed the cross to them.David, too, went to Brest to get Polish aid, and gave fifty gold grievens2to King Vladislav Herman as a present. “Help me!” implored David. “Sviatopolk is in Brest,” said the king, “I will reconcile thee with him.” Vladislav, however, soon discovered by experience that the friendship of Sviatopolk brought a greater return to him than did friendship with David. The Kief prince made richer gifts, and to Vladislav’s son he gave his daughter in marriage. In view of these facts, the king informed David that he had failed in discussions with Sviatopolk. “Go home,” said he; “I will send aid if thy cousin attacks thee.”David went home and waited a long time. Sviatopolk laid siege to Vladimir. David held out, hoping for Polish assistance, which came not. At last he yielded, and the two princes made peace. David marched out, and Sviatopolk, when he had entered Vladimir in triumph, began to think of Volodar and Vassilko. “They are on lands which belonged to my father,” said he, and he marched against the two brothers, forgetting that he had kissed the cross to them recently. He found it most difficult, however, to deal with those princes. When he advanced to invade their lands, Volodar and Vassilko met him promptly on the boundary. Before the battle, which followed immediately, Vassilko held up the cross which Sviatopolk had kissed, and cried out to him: “See what thou didst kiss to prove thy good faith to me. Thou hast robbed me of eyesight, and now thou art trying to kill me. Let this holy cross be between us.”The ensuing battle was savage. Sviatopolk was forced from the field and withdrew to Vladimir, where he put his son, Mystislav, in charge, and sent another son, Yaroslav, to Hungary to find aid against Volodar and Vassilko, he himself going to Kief in the meantime.At Yaroslav’s call, the Hungarian king, Koloman, came with an army and two bishops and laid siege at once to Peremysl, where Volodar had fixed himself. David came back from Poland, where he had begged aid without finding it. Their common danger at this time brought him and his victim together, and, leaving his wife in Volodar’s care, he set out to find Polovtsi allies. He met Bonyak, the famous Polovtsi Khan, who returned with him, bringing[42]a strong force of warriors. They attacked and drove out the Hungarians, and punished them severely. Yaroslav, son of Sviatopolk, who had brought the Hungarians to Russia, fled now to the Poles, and David, making use of his victory with promptness, marched on Vladimir when he was not expected, seized the suburbs and laid siege to the fortress without delay.Mystislav, placed in command, as we have seen, by Sviatopolk, his father, defended the city successfully till misfortune befell him. He was standing one day on the wall behind a wooden curtain when an arrow flew in through a crevice and killed him. His death was concealed from the people for three days. When they learned of it, they said straightway: “If we surrender now, Sviatopolk will destroy us.” So the chief men sent to Kief, saying: “Thy son is slain, we are dying of hunger. If thou come not, the people will yield to the enemy.”Sviatopolk sent his voevoda, Putyata, with forces which halted at Lutsk, where Sviatoslav, son of David of Chernigoff, had warriors. At this juncture envoys from David, son of Rurik, who was besieging Vladimir, had audience with Sviatoslav, who had just sworn friendship to them. But when Putyata appeared, this same Sviatoslav was frightened. He seized David’s envoys, and went himself with his warriors to help Putyata, instead of helping David. These two allies arrived before Vladimir one midday, and attacked David. The Vladimir men, seeing this from the walls of the city, made a sally and David was badly defeated. He fled and Putyata and his ally marched into Vladimir, where they established one Vassili as lieutenant of Sviatopolk. After that the allies departed for Lutsk, and Putyata went to Kief.Meanwhile David fled quickly toward the steppe land to find Polovtsi. Again he met Bonyak, who returned with him, and they captured Lutsk and Vladimir, which David now occupied. Then he sent his nephew, Mystislav, to the mouth of the Dnieper to seize merchants, and thus force the Grand Prince to sue for peace as he had done formerly—Sviatopolk, by nature weak and vacillating, had shown that he was not the man to punish David, who was stronger now than he had ever been before.In 1100 a new meeting of princes was arranged to assemble at Vititchevo. At this meeting the following decision was made known to David: “We will not let thee have Vladimir, because[43]thou hast cast a knife wickedly between us. We do not exclude thee, or punish thee further. Thou canst take Bugsk with Ostrog. Sviatopolk gives thee Dubno and Chartorisk, also Dorogobuj. In addition, Monomach gives thee two hundred grievens, Oleg and David two hundred more.”To Volodar the princes sent the following message: “Take thy brother, Vassilko, and possess Peremysl. If thou wilt not keep thy brother, let him come to us, we will support him.”Volodar and Vassilko would not comply with this, and each remained in the place which belonged to him. When the princes wished to constrain the two brothers, Monomach would not consent to it; he insisted on the Lubetch agreement.The two meetings, the first at Lubetch, the second at Vititchevo, ended that struggle which had raged half a century. The strong princes became stronger, the izgoi (orphans) and their descendants were excluded. Volodar and Vassilko were the only izgoi who retained a province. The descendants of Vyacheslav, son of Yaroslav, lost their places in the first generation; those of Igor, his brother, in the second. Later on they reappear as petty princes of small places without independent significance. With full and equal rights appear only the descendants of the three elder sons of Yaroslav, Izyaslav, Sviatoslav and Vsevolod. Of these, the sons of Sviatoslav saved themselves only after a bitter and bloody struggle, thanks also to the moderation of Monomach, and his son Mystislav.The division of land between the descendants of these three sons of Yaroslav the Lawgiver was unequal. Monomach, through his superior personality and favoring fortune, received a much larger portion than his brothers. He received Pereyaslavl, Novgorod, Smolensk and Rostoff. Sviatopolk received Volynia, but Novgorod, connected always so closely with Kief, did not fall to him. The sons of Sviatoslav, Oleg and his brothers, received nothing beyond the land which their father had held.Sviatopolk was greatly dissatisfied that Novgorod did not remain with his house. As he could not take it from Monomach without compensation, he gave Volynia in return for it. But when Mystislav, Monomach’s son, was recalled to give place to a son of Sviatopolk, the men of Novgorod revolted, and sent envoys to Kief with this message: “Novgorod wishes neither Sviatopolk[44]nor his descendants. If Sviatopolk’s son has two heads, let him come to us.” Sviatopolk had to live without Novgorod.Monomach, now free to act against steppe tribes, urged Sviatopolk to help him. “Let us join our forces,” said he, “and march in the spring against these enemies.” Sviatopolk turned to his warriors for counsel. They were unwilling to move, and answered that war during spring months took men from their labor. “Let us meet in some place, and consult with the warriors,” was Sviatopolk’s answer to Monomach. They met at Dolobsk, above Kief, on the bank of the Dnieper. “Begin, brother, thou art the elder,” said Monomach; “tell what we are to do in our Russia.” “Begin thou, that is better,” answered Sviatopolk. “How am I to speak,” replied Monomach, “thy warriors will oppose, and say that I wish to ruin earth-tillers and their labor, though I wonder why they are so tender of earth-tillers, forgetting how Polovtsi come in the spring-time, strike down each man in his furrow, take his wife, take his children, seize his horse, and burn his granary.” “True,” said the warriors. “Thou art right, they do much evil.” “I am ready to go!” exclaimed Sviatopolk. And he rose and proclaimed the expedition. “Thou hast done a great deed, O my brother,” said Monomach.The two princes sent at once to the sons of Sviatoslav, saying: “Let us march against the Polovtsi, we shall either fall in the struggle, or survive it.” David promised aid, but Oleg would not go. His health was too frail, he said. Four other princes joined willingly in making war on the steppe foes of Russia.The Polovtsi learned what was coming, and met in council. Some were in favor of buying peace, but the younger men called loudly for war, and their side won the mastery.A force was sent out to reconnoitre. The princes met this force, cut down every man in it, advanced on the main army quickly and struck it. A fierce struggle followed. Twenty Polovtsi chiefs were killed, and a Khan named Beldug was captured. Beldug, when brought to Sviatopolk, offered much ransom for his life in gold, silver, cattle, horses and camels. Sviatopolk sent him to Monomach for judgment. “How often hast thou sworn not to war with us,” said Monomach to the Khan, “but still thou attack. Why not teach thy sons what an oath is? How much Christian blood hast thou shed? But now thy own blood be on[45]thee, not on our heads.” With that, he gave a sign to his men, and Beldug was cut to pieces.Immense booty was taken, and the princes went home rejoicing, and with great glory. The terrible Bonyak was alive yet, however, and made his power felt very keenly.In 1106 Sviatopolk sent three voevodas against Polovtsi, whom they defeated, and from whom they recovered much booty. In 1107, near Pereyaslavl, Bonyak seized large herds of horses. Somewhat later he appeared with other Khans and encamped at the Sula River near Lubni. Sviatopolk, Monomach, and Oleg, with four other princes, discovered his camping-ground, and, stealing up to it, made an attack with great outcry. The Polovtsi had no time to defend themselves. Those who could seized their beasts, mounted and fled; those who could not mount rushed off on foot, if they were able. The princes pursued them to the river Horol, slaying all whom they could reach with their sabres.Despite these successes, Oleg and David in that same year held a meeting with two Khans, whose daughters they took as wives for two of their sons.In 1110 an expedition undertaken by Sviatopolk, Monomach and David came to naught, but in 1111 they set out on the second Monday in Lent, and on Friday before Passion Week they met the Polovtsi in large force beyond the Don River, and crushed them. It was not till the following Monday, however, that they found the main host of the enemy. When the two armies met, there was a roar like thunder, as the chronicler describes it, and the battle was merciless. Both sides were equal and balanced each other till David and Monomach, with two regiments, rushed furiously at the enemy’s center and pierced it. At this the Russians dashed forward with renewed strength, broke the Polovtsi and, cutting and slashing, pursued them to the steppes.This was the greatest victory won up to that time over Polovtsi. The profit of the exploit was enormous, and the fame of it extended through Europe. It went both to Rome and to Tsargrad. Though all the princes helped Monomach, they could not of themselves have conceived such a feat or have accomplished it, hence to him the chief glory was due, and was given. For him and for the whole land and people there was great benefit in conquering the Polovtsi. For him, because those tribes were ever ready to[46]harass and plunder, and doubly ready to help any prince in his projects.To landless princes, or those who had quarrels, the Polovtsi were ready aids, but they were the terror of all who tilled land or lived by labor. To a great chief like Monomach they were enemies nearly always, for principally through them civil war and disorder were possible. A prince without land or position might find among Polovtsi at all times men ready to go with him and take their reward in plundering the country and enslaving as many people as they could lay hands on.It was difficult in those days to be a Grand Prince ruling wisely and with justice. Such a man had to get the throne of Kief first, and then hold it; he had to satisfy, or eliminate, the unreasoning and unruly; he had to crush or terrorize the Polovtsi; he had, by victory, a show of power, or a daring front, to ward off his western neighbors. When these deeds were all accomplished he might begin to work for wealth and order. We can understand easily the desire of Monomach to crush the Polovtsi, and his joy at having tamed them, at least for a season.In 1113 Sviatopolk died, and Monomach succeeded him, but he took the highest office only after a hesitation which we may believe to have been shown to make men express themselves with the utmost emphasis. Sviatoslav was older than Monomach’s father, but Sviatoslav, though he had been prince in Kief, was prince by expelling Izyaslav unjustly, and, though Sviatoslav had ceased to live before Izyaslav was reinstated, and therefore died in office, he might be considered as not having been in Kief at any time; his sons in this event could have no real claim. In every case the people would receive no man except Monomach, and he became Grand Prince by acclamation.Though the sons of Sviatoslav made no demands in public, they cherished plans in secret, as was shown somewhat later, and very clearly. But trouble came immediately from other princes. Glaib of Minsk, a son of Vseslav, that swift moving wizard, so well known to us, ravaged lands in Monomach’s possessions, and when asked to cease made sharp reproaches. Because of this, the Grand Prince, in 1116, marched against Minsk with his sons, and others. The young princes seized various towns, and Monomach resolved to capture Minsk at every hazard, hence[47]he fixed his camp before it, and had a house built in haste, for headquarters. When Glaib saw this house, he begged for peace straightway, and it was granted him. Somewhat later he rebelled again, and in 1120 was brought to Kief, where he died that same season.The next scene of trouble was Volynia. Sviatopolk, the last Grand Prince, had cherished good feeling toward Monomach, and had caused Yaroslav, his son, to marry the daughter of Mystislav of Novgorod, son of Monomach. Sometime later, however, Monomach laid siege to Vladimir, Yaroslav’s capital. After fighting two months, that prince asked for peace, and Monomach granted it on condition that Yaroslav would come to him whenever summoned. The attack on Yaroslav had been made because, in connection with Boleslav of Poland, who had married his sister, he was acting in Galitch against Volodar and Vassilko. Monomach had remonstrated without effect, and then moved on Yaroslav, with the result we have just seen. Before going on this expedition, the Grand Prince had recalled Mystislav from Novgorod, and installed him in Bailgorod, so that in case of need he might have that son near him. Yaroslav, who, because his father had been Grand Prince, wished to succeed Monomach, saw in this transfer a step toward taking the succession from him and giving it to Mystislav, hence his enforced obedience was short-lived, and he ended it by driving away his wife, a granddaughter of Monomach. In punishment for this act Monomach moved a second time against him.To think of war with Vladimir Monomach, Yaroslav must have counted on large forces, and have had firm faith in receiving assistance from allies. But just then his own boyars deserted him, and he was obliged to flee to Hungary, and later on to Poland.Monomach then seated in Volynia Roman, his own son, and when this son died, Andrei, his brother. In 1120 Andrei moved against the Poles with Polovtsi forces. In the following year Yaroslav set out to attack Cherven in Galitch with Polish forces, but Monomach had the border towns well strengthened and in Cherven was Ratiborovitch, his voevoda, who drove back Yaroslav, entirely baffled.Most dangerous to the Poles was Volodar, who had as allies tribes in Pomoria and in Prussia on the Baltic. These tribes were[48]hostile to the Poles. The question now was to stop Volodar. At the court of Boleslav there lived Peter Vlast, a Dane of many adventures, who advised the king not to meet Prince Volodar in battle, but to kidnap him, and promised, if permission were given, to accomplish the deed himself.The king was pleased, and Vlast, who had gained much renown through marvelous exploits, set out with thirty men to win the confidence of Volodar and capture him. He appeared before the prince and, feigning himself an exile in deadly enmity with Boleslav, quickly won Volodar’s good-will and confidence. Some weeks later the prince took Vlast to a hunt in a great forest where, adroitly separated from his own people, Volodar was seized by Vlast’s men, who bore him beyond the boundary and never drew rein till they delivered him safely to Boleslav. The king was triumphant.Vassilko the Blind gave all the money that he and his brother possessed to free Volodar; besides this, those two sons of Rostislav swore to act with the Poles against every enemy.In 1123 Yaroslav, son of Sviatopolk, appeared at Vladimir with immense forces,—Cheks, Poles and Hungarians, bringing also as allies Volodar and Vassilko. Monomach’s son, Andrei, who was prince there, defended the city. Monomach sent forward Mystislav, and also hurried men from Kief, but before Mystislav could arrive the siege was well ended.Early one Sunday morning Yaroslav rode toward the walls with two attendants, and shouted to Andrei and the citizens: “This city is mine! Open ye the gates and come out to me with homage. If not I will storm the place to-morrow and take it.”While he was thus riding in front of the city and boasting, two Poles, employed, as is said, by Andrei, slipped out and hid near the wayside. When the prince was retiring from the walls, they sprang up and sent a spear through his body. He reached camp, barely living, and died a few hours later.Stephen II, King of Hungary, thought to continue the siege, but the chiefs of his army were opposed to shedding blood without profit. In view of this, the allies of Yaroslav, the late prince, made peace with the Kief prince and retired each to his own land. Through Yaroslav’s death Sviatopolk’s descendants lost the Kief succession. Four years later his younger sons, Izyaslav[49]and Bryache, died, so that Volynia and Turoff went to Monomach’s descendants.Monomach’s strength with the people swept all men and obstacles before it. Yaroslav, with a foreign army, failed in Volynia, because the people and the boyars would not uphold him, but stood firm for Monomach. Monomach saw the danger of Russia’s falling into a chaos of insignificant and independent principalities, therefore he strove to increase the authority of the Grand Prince, and to restrict the succession to his own descendants, with the provision that if the younger brothers died before the eldest, who was Prince of Kief, their sons were to be excluded forever from the succession.New persons now and dramatic scenes pass before us swiftly. Vladimir Monomach, always spoken of in Russia as Monomach, died in 1125, and with him departed the prosperity of ancient Russia. He had come to the throne with thirty years of experience in statescraft. He had been the right hand of his father, and without him Sviatopolk could not have ruled at all. He was a man who worked always for what he thought to be the good of his country. Like his grandfather, he was a founder of cities and a lawgiver. There is an interesting paper still extant which he compiled for the guidance of his sons, some clauses of which I will quote: “It is neither fasting nor solitude nor monastic life that will procure you life eternal—it is well doing. Forget not the poor, but nourish them. Bury not your riches in the earth, for that is contrary to the teachings of Christianity.3Be a father to orphans; judge the cause of widows yourself. Put to death no human being, be he innocent or guilty, for there is nothing more sacred than the soul of a Christian. Love your wives, but beware lest they obtain power over you. When you have learned something useful, strive to retain it in your memory, and work unceasingly for knowledge.”Monomach had eight sons, named here in the order of their ages: Mystislav the Great, who succeeded his father; Izyaslav, killed before Murom in battling against Oleg of Chernigoff; Sviatoslav, given once as a hostage to Kitan and then stolen away in the night at Pereyaslavl on the Alta; Roman, famous in nothing, married the sister of the renowned Vladimirko of Galitch; Yaropolk,[50]who reigned in Kief after Mystislav, and died without issue; Vyacheslav, “of scant mind and simple,” who raised Monomach’s ensign over the Polovtsi contingent at Koloksha, and thus routed Oleg; Yuri, named later on Dolgoruki, or Long-Handed (Grasping); and Andrei, who died rather early.The two sons of Vladimir Monomach renowned in history are Mystislav the Great, and Yuri, surnamed Dolgoruki. From the first comes the elder, from the second the younger line of Monomach’s descendants. Mystislav became the ancestor of the Western Russian princes, those of Galitch (Galicia), Smolensk and Volynia. Yuri, through the founding of Moscow and the results flowing from it, became the father of that northern line of princes so famous in history. The descendants of these two brothers were often at enmity, and it was their rivalry which later on ruined Kief.Mystislav succeeded his father in 1125 without opposition. Oleg of Chernigoff had died during Monomach’s reign, so had David, his brother. Only Yaroslav, the youngest brother, now remained. He, not greatly considered in his family, was expelled from Chernigoff by Vsevolod, his nephew, and founded in Ryazan a new principality.Mystislav’s reign was distinguished for three things. First he brought to order those Polovtsi who would live in peace near the boundary, and crushed or expelled the others; then he seized all lands of the Polotsk princes, the descendants of Rognyeda, that unwilling wife of Vladimir (Saint Vladimir of the Orthodox Church). We have seen how those Polotsk princes, when excluded from the Kief succession, harried Smolensk and raided Novgorod, bringing ceaseless trouble and never-ending bloodshed. Later on both Pinsk and Turoff had been taken from them. This intensified resistance, and, as they would abate no claim whatever, Mystislav resolved at last to end the trouble. He captured all those princes and, putting them on a vessel, sent them to Tsargrad, where the Emperor, his friend, detained the captives. Some died; the survivors, or most of them, escaped in later days, and ruled again in parts of Polotsk, but soon were lost to fame, unless the tradition be true that Gedimin and his sons, who seized Western Russia during Mongol dominion and joined it with Poland through marriage, were descended from those Polotsk princes who returned[51]from Tsargrad. A third event in Mystislav’s reign was the founding of Ryazan, which happened in this way.Oleg of Chernigoff, who died during Monomach’s reign, was succeeded by his youngest brother, Yaroslav. Of Oleg’s sons the second, Vsevolod, later on the Kief prince, was a man who in early life had planned a great career very carefully. He had married the eldest daughter of Mystislav the Great, and had thus become connected with Monomach’s descendants. When Mystislav succeeded Monomach, his father, in Kief, Vsevolod drove his uncle from the throne of Chernigoff, and seated himself there. Vsevolod was unceremonious with Yaroslav because the man was not strong, and because he himself wanted Kief when the time came to get it. To possess Kief, he must first win, or get Chernigoff, hence must drive out his uncle.Yaroslav turned for assistance to Mystislav, who was willing to reinstate him by force even, if need be. It was the proper policy of Kief to act thus, and be the arbiter in Russia. But times had changed much, and Kief men were no longer willing to fight for helpless princes. Yaroslav, unable to fight his battles alone, and forced to withdraw from Chernigoff, settled in Ryazan, where he founded a new line of princes.Mystislav reigned seven years and died in 1132. He was succeeded by Yaropolk, his brother, who, himself without issue, swore to provide in all fairness for Mystislav’s children. He strove to do this without offending any one, but was unable, as there were not places enough for the two lines of landless princes. The first step he took was to summon from Novgorod Vsevolod, son of the late Mystislav, and give him Pereyaslavl on the Alta. Thereupon Yuri Dolgoruki marched with astonishing swiftness from Suzdal to the Alta, fell upon Vsevolod and expelled him. His reason for this act was that for three reigns Pereyaslavl had been, as it were, the stepping-stone to Kief, the capital and first place, the transfer being made from Pereyaslavl. Dolgoruki, as uncle to Vsevolod, was his senior, and would not permit him to settle in Pereyaslavl and thus obtain the succession.The sons of Mystislav rose up now against their uncles, and, to gain force sufficient to war with them, made a league with their cousins, David of Chernigoff and Oleg, his brother. Yaropolk, Mystislav’s brother, and brother of Yuri, moved against Chernigoff.[52]Mystislav’s sons helped the Chernigoff princes, and when these sons attacked their uncle, Dolgoruki, Vsevolod, son of the late Oleg the endless quarreler, went to help them. Meanwhile the condition of Kief was almost repeated in Novgorod.When the late Prince of Kief, Mystislav the Great, was recalled from Novgorod by Monomach, his father, his brother Vsevolod was sent to replace him. During Vsevolod’s day the dignity of prince was lowered notably in Novgorod. In earlier times the posadnik had been an aid to the prince,—an assistant; he was now his associate, and at times even his superior. Vsevolod was disliked in Novgorod because, as the men there declared, he had left it for another place, that is, Pereyaslavl on the Alta. He had fought against his uncle Dolgoruki, and had fled from him. They said, too, that he cared only for falcons and hunting; that he sided with the rich, and with boyars; that he looked with contempt on poor people, and on small folk. To these words they added a deed never witnessed till that day in Novgorod. They seized Vsevolod, locked him up in a tower and set a watch around it. They sought then for a prince who might please them. Some, unwilling to offend Dolgoruki, their dangerous neighbor, thought to choose Rostislav, his son, as their ruler, but others, who were greater in number, prevailed and turned to Chernigoff. Vsevolod, son of Oleg, sent his brother, Sviatoslav, but Novgorod was no better pleased with the new than with the late prince.Pskoff, up to this time dependent on Novgorod, resolved now to break its bonds. Vsevolod, freed from the Novgorod tower and expelled from the city, went to Pskoff and was received joyfully. Novgorod sent Sviatoslav, its new prince, with warriors to subdue the Pskoff men, but Sviatoslav, finding the task both impossible and useless, led his men back to Novgorod. The city, enraged at this failure, turned out the new prince, and sent him home to Chernigoff.Thus disorder was rife in all places, and only after much time and great effort was Yaropolk, the Grand Prince, able to satisfy his nephews, without, at the same time, enraging his brothers. When all were in a deadlock of dissension and wearied of fighting, he gave them lands in the following order: Izyaslav, eldest son of Mystislav, received for his sons the Polotsk principality, or the greater part of it, and for himself Volynia and its adjuncts. His[53]brother, Rostislav, received Smolensk, which, increased by additions from Polotsk and Volynia, became a great principality. Vsevolod, son of Mystislav, connected with Pskoff till his death, left no posterity. Vladimir and Sviatopolk, also sons of Mystislav, received nothing and led a landless existence. Yaropolk’s brothers, that is, the other surviving sons of Monomach, were settled thuswise: Yuri Dolgoruki retained his northern land in entirety. He obtained also Gorodok on the Oseter, a place which he prized because of its connection with Kief and with Southern Russia. Pereyaslavl was given to Andrei, the youngest brother. Having settled questions as best he was able Yaropolk had little left for himself save the capital.It is to be remembered that besides the few leading princes, who gave away or received immense regions, there was now a horde of small princes, all related to one another and to the great ones. These it was necessary to satisfy, some with a single town, others with more, as the case might be. There was not land enough to satisfy all, however, for sons of the ruling princes were increasing in number. There were also princes who, dying before they had received places, left orphans. These orphans needed sustenance; they were of princely blood and, what was of more importance, made trouble when discontented, if they had power to do so. This great band of land-seekers turned to the Kief prince, who was for them in the place of a father. Yaropolk, while trying to settle princes of this kind, was forced to set aside towns to support them till he could find permanent places. Thus Kief was soon reduced to narrow limits.At first the lands of the mother city covered all Southern Russia. On the southwest and the south they touched the Carpathians and the Danube; on the west they reached the headwaters of every river flowing toward the Euxine and included some rivers flowing into the Baltic. They extended toward the Volga and the Caspian till they reached the territory occupied by the wild tribes of the Polovtsi. But now, by gifts to the dissatisfied and the demanding, Yaropolk left little to the city. In later reigns there was nothing left, and in that final day a Kief prince was no longer the highest power in Russia; he was scarcely more than a guardian of the capital.It was not the might of Kief which, in his day, gave Yaropolk[54]influence, but his native worth, and his character, which recalled that of Monomach, his father. Lofty qualities gave him strength against Vsevolod, the keen, cunning, shifty son of Oleg. Vsevolod had not seized Chernigoff from his uncle to sit there in quietness; he aimed at Kief, through which alone power was at that time obtainable, and power was the lodestar of his existence.During Mystislav’s reign Vsevolod had made no move whatever, and, while Yaropolk was settling with his brothers and nephews, he took no part with the dissatisfied, but when Yaropolk had decided every question, the crafty Vsevolod joined hands with Igor and Sviatoslav, his cousins, sons of David, and attacked Yaropolk on both sides of the Dnieper. Fire and sword swept through those lands on the Ros and the Sula, and west of the Dnieper a great war began in which all men of weapons took part with eagerness. After several preliminary battles troops hurried in from many places,—brothers and nephews came to help Yaropolk. From Volynia, Polotsk, Smolensk, Rostoff, Turoff and Suzdal did they come. Yaropolk himself led the regiments of Kief and the Black Caps, called also “Cherkassi” (Circassians).At sight of these overwhelming forces Vsevolod lost all hope of victory. He prepared to abandon Chernigoff and flee to the Polovtsi, but he was stopped by the bishop at the head of the people. “Halt,” said the bishop; “leave thy pride, and beg for peace. Yaropolk is kind and generous; he will grant it.” Vsevolod listened to this advice, and sent envoys to Yaropolk, who received the men graciously, gave presents in return for those brought by them, forgave Vsevolod, and made peace.Yaropolk’s advisers were enraged at this peace. They desired the destruction of Vsevolod, and wished to avenge their comrades who had fallen in recent battles, but Yaropolk was firm; he dismissed his forces and returned to Kief, where he ruled for a season, and then died, after years of sore trial and effort.Yaropolk was succeeded in 1150 by his brother, Vyacheslav, a prince “poor in wit, and simple,” as the chronicler assures us, but in fact a person original and most interesting,—one of “God’s fools” in the language of myth tales. Vsevolod’s chance appeared now, and he seized it greedily. He promised Chernigoff to his cousins, Monomach’s descendants, and then pledged to his brothers all the possessions of those same descendants of Monomach,[55]thus promising to men what was not their own, but their neighbors’. He fell upon Kief, fired the suburbs, and sent this message to Vyacheslav: “Go in peace out of Kief.” “Not of myself did I come to Kief,” replied Vyacheslav; “I came, commanded by my ancestors and in succession to my brother. If thou, abandoning thine own, hast come to take what belongs to thy senior, I will offer no resistance; I become thy junior.” And he went out of Kief, thus making his withdrawal a reproach and a shame to Vsevolod.That prince, however, cared no whit for reproach and shame; he wanted power. To him all else, be it right or wrong, was as nothing. Hence he entered Kief in pomp and great circumstance. An immense feast was placed before the people, and to the monasteries and churches rich presents were given. Highly gifted with the art of pleasing, and lavish of money and flattery, Vsevolod won the multitude quickly.This seizure and holding of sovereignty by a man in a junior and excluded line was a real exploit. How did Vsevolod accomplish it; and, once having Kief, how did he hold it? Why did Monomach’s descendants let Oleg’s son take possession of the city, which was theirs by inheritance, and thus lose that which distinguished them from all other princes?The position of Monomach’s descendants was peculiar at this juncture. It was involved beyond measure. Though the strongest group of men in Russia, they had no leader. The oldest of Monomach’s three surviving sons, Vyacheslav the Simple, was incompetent in action; the second, Yuri Dolgoruki, was competent, but not ready at that time. He was little known in southern regions, and, so far as known, was unpopular. Andrei, the youngest brother, was popular, but could not be the leader.The man best fitted to be Grand Prince was Izyaslav, then ruling in Volynia. He was the eldest son of Mystislav the Great, who was the eldest son of Monomach. But Izyaslav was barred from action by his three living uncles, the younger brothers of his father. He could not win Kief without them, and they would neither yield to him, nor help him.The house of Monomach was thus divided. Vsevolod saw clearly that, thanks to this division, he could seize the capital, and hold it. Hence he hastened to win over Izyaslav with the following[56]message: “At thy father’s death, Kief should have been thine, but thy uncles would not suffer thee to take it; they expelled thee and thy brothers from every place, and had I not assisted, ye would to-day have no land in Russia. I want Kief. Thou and thy brothers will be as my own blood to me. Ye will get the choicest places, and at my death Kief will fall to thee, Izyaslav, but thou and they must not help thy uncles to oppose me.”These words pleased Izyaslav; he and Vsevolod made a pact and kissed the cross to keep it. Owing to this pact, Vsevolod appeared in Kief with slender forces and found few men opposing, though Kief might have resisted very easily. Once in power, Vsevolod became expectant; he waited to see what would happen.The Monomach party, both uncles and nephews, met promptly for counsel. Izyaslav went to Smolensk to confer with Rostislav, to whom Dolgoruki went also. Rostislav could not act with both nephews and uncles. To Dolgoruki he had been respectful at all times, and now Dolgoruki’s talks with him were successful. Vsevolod learned of this, and was ready for action immediately. He made proposals to Izyaslav, whom he invited to Kief. Izyaslav would not go; he had lost all faith in Vsevolod; he would have nothing further to do with him.Izyaslav and his friends now began preparations for an attack on the usurper.Vsevolod resolved to forestall his enemies; to meet each separately, take his land and give it to his brothers as he had promised. Against Vyacheslav, whom he had driven out of Kief, and Izyaslav, his cousin, he sent Izyaslav, son of David, with Vladimirko and Rostislav, the Galitch princes, grandsons of Rostislav. Vsevolod himself marched against Andrei, son of Monomach, in Pereyaslavl, taking with him his own brother Sviatoslav, for whom he intended this city. While on the road he sent Andrei a message containing the sentence: “Go thou to Kursk!” “I will die rather than leave my inheritance,” retorted Andrei. “My father ruled here, not in Kursk. If there is not sufficient land for thee elsewhere in Russia, and thou must have this place, slay me and take it. While I live, I will not leave what belongs to me.”Vsevolod did not in person attack Andrei’s forces, but sent Sviatoslav, his brother, who was defeated. Next day they made peace. The terms, as we know them, left Andrei in his capital[57]while he agreed to join in no war upon Vsevolod, and to recognize him as Grand Prince. The prince returned to Kief then, defeated, but still with some part of a victory.The attack on Volynia was a failure, but Vladimirko of Galitch and the Poles, his allies, succeeded in a degree. They captured towns, but they could not expel Izyaslav or his uncle. There, as in other places outside of Chernigoff, the people favored Monomach’s line, though neither Yuri of Suzdal nor Rostislav of Smolensk had given aid to them. The reason aid did not come was that Novgorod would not help Izyaslav, and had driven out Yuri’s son Rostislav. Yuri returned then to Suzdal and seized Torjok to punish Novgorod by stopping supplies.While Yuri was acting thus, Rostislav of Smolensk dared not move against Vsevolod. Peace was concluded because of this balance of forces. Izyaslav got Volynia, and Vsevolod was acknowledged as Grand Prince.Division among opponents gave Vsevolod the headship. Had they been united he could not have taken Kief, or, if he had taken that city, he could not have retained it. Even now his hold, though efficient, was exceedingly slender and delicate, for among his adherents, that is, his cousins and his brothers, there was endless dissension and wrangling.[58]1This phrase is a declaration of war.↑2The value of the gold grieven was about one hundred and eighty-six rubles while that of the silver grieven was from four to five rubles.↑3The burying of gold and silver was customary at that time.↑

[Contents]CHAPTER IIVLADIMIR MONOMACHIn 1093 Vsevolod died at the age of sixty-four. His successor was Sviatopolk, son of Izyaslav, a weak and worthless man. Then came trouble and turmoil. “Those were days,” an old song says, “when strife was sown, when it grew as grain in the field grows, when men’s lives were shortened by princes’ struggles, when the cry of the earth-tiller was heard only rarely, but often the scream of the crows wrangling over corpses.” Monomach, the bravest and ablest of all the descendants of Yaroslav, might have taken the Kief throne had he wished, since the Kief people begged him to do so, but he feared civil war and refused, saying: “Sviatopolk’s father was older than my father; he reigned first in Kief.”Sviatopolk, greedy and cruel, showed his character quickly. Envoys from the Polovtsi came to sell peace to him. He cast them into prison. When the Polovtsi heard of this insult they made war with the utmost vigor.Sviatopolk then freed the envoys and asked for peace, but could not get it. He began at once to prepare for war on a small scale, but at last took advice and asked aid of Monomach, who came, bringing with him his brother. The three princes with their combined forces attacked the Polovtsi, though Monomach urged peace, since the enemy outnumbered them notably. The Russians were beaten in a savage encounter and Rostislav, Monomach’s brother, was drowned while crossing a river; Monomach himself had a narrow escape when struggling to save him. Elated with triumph, the Polovtsi hastened toward Kief, ravaging all before them. Sviatopolk, who had taken refuge in the capital, summoned fresh warriors and went out to meet the enemy a second time, but was again defeated and fled back to Kief with but two attendants.[34]As Sviatopolk now wished greatly for peace, he gave what the Polovtsi asked, and took the Khan’s daughter in marriage.Oleg, son of Sviatoslav of Chernigoff, one of the most resolute and active men of the eleventh century, came also with peace to sell, leading in a new army of Polovtsi. The crushing defeats which his cousins had suffered prepared the way for him. He laid siege to Chernigoff, harried the surrounding country and burned churches and villages. For eight days his Polovtsi worked at the stronghold, then Monomach sent a message to Oleg declaring that to stop bloodshed and ruin he would march from the city. Peace was made on that basis, and Oleg became master of Chernigoff.Pereyaslavl was now Monomach’s capital, and continued to be so during a time of sore trial and waiting. Pereyaslavl was the place which the Polovtsi struck first of all, when marching against Russia. Monomach lived three years in this exposed capital, where he suffered through lack of means and from ceaseless attacks of the Polovtsi. In 1095 two Khans, Itlar and Kitan, came to Pereyaslavl to sell peace, that is to take treasure for a promise of peace, and then break the promise.Itlar went with his men to the stronghold to pass the night there and was lodged at the house of Ratibor, a distinguished boyar.Kitan remained between the outer wall and the second one, and Monomach gave Sviatoslav, his son, to Kitan as hostage for the safety of Itlar.A man by the name of Slavata, who had come that day on some mission from Sviatopolk in Kief, persuaded Ratibor to get consent from Monomach to kill those Polovtsi. “How could I permit such a deed?” demanded Monomach; “I have given my oath to Itlar:” “The Polovtsi give oaths to thee, and then slay and ruin us on all sides. That they will do this time also.” Monomach yielded after much persuasion, and that night men were sent out who stole away Sviatoslav and then killed Kitan with his attendants. Itlar, at Ratibor’s house, knew nothing of what had happened. Next morning Ratibor’s men climbed to the top of the house in which Itlar was lodging, opened the roof and killed the Polovtsi warriors with arrows. Sviatopolk and Monomach moved at once to the steppe against the Polovtsi and sent to Oleg for aid in the struggle. Oleg went, but held aloof through[35]suspicion. The two princes were successful. The Polovtsi, taken unawares, were badly defeated. The princes seized men, cattle, horses and camels, and returned home with rich booty.Oleg’s conduct had angered Sviatopolk and Monomach seriously. “Thou art unwilling to join us against the vile enemy,” said they. “In thy house Itlar’s son is now living; give him to us, or else kill him.” Oleg would not yield to his cousins. Soon after they sent this message: “Come to Kief and take counsel, so that we may defend Russia together.” “I will not let priests and common men judge me,” replied Oleg. This answer enraged Kief people, and Sviatopolk and Monomach declared war against Oleg without another question. “Thou wilt not help us to crush pagans,” said they, “or meet us in council. Thou art plotting to strengthen the enemy. Let God judge between us.”1The two princes now marched on Chernigoff. Oleg fled thence to Starodub and shut himself in there. The princes laid siege to the place, and during thirty-three days they made vigorous onsets, but the defense was most resolute. At last the besieged were exhausted, and Oleg was obliged to beg for peace. “Go to David, thy brother,” replied the princes, “and come with him to Kief. Kief is the mother city. In Kief ruled our ancestors. Let us meet there and settle all questions.” Oleg kissed the cross in assent and set out for Smolensk to find David, but upon arriving at that city the people would not allow him to enter, so he turned and went back toward Ryazan.Since Oleg and David did not come to Kief to make peace and take counsel, the two princes marched on Smolensk. David now made peace with them, on what terms is unknown to us, while Oleg, with his own men and some warriors sent him by David in secret, advanced against Murom to expel Izyaslav, son of Monomach. Izyaslav, having a numerous force, went out to meet Oleg. “Go to Rostoff, which belonged to thy father,” said Izyaslav, “but leave my father’s portion.” “I wish to be here,” replied Oleg. Izyaslav now gave battle. A fierce struggle followed, and Izyaslav fell in the fight before the walls of Murom. The town then received Oleg, who hurried on straightway to Suzdal, which also surrendered. Of the citizens some he held captive while others were sent to various places in his own land,[36]but he seized all of their property. He appeared next in front of Rostoff, which surrendered at once, and he appointed men to collect taxes there.Oleg held now all lands connected with Murom. At this juncture there came to him an envoy from Mystislav, prince in Novgorod, with this message: “Leave Suzdal and Murom. Take not another man’s province. I will make peace between thee and my father, even though thou hast slain Izyaslav, my brother.”Oleg would not listen. After such a victory he had no desire for peace. He planned to take Novgorod, he had even sent forward his brother, Yaroslav, and was going to assist him. Mystislav sent men, who seized Oleg’s tax-gatherers. In view of this, Yaroslav warned Oleg to guard himself carefully, that forces were advancing from Novgorod. Oleg turned back to Rostoff, but Mystislav followed him. He then left Rostoff for Suzdal; his enemy hurried straight after him. Oleg burned Suzdal and fled to Murom. Mystislav reached Suzdal and halted. From Suzdal he sent an envoy again to make peace, if possible.Oleg, doubtful of victory through force, now sought it through strategy. He sent back words of seeming friendliness, and was watchful.Mystislav, thinking peace near, quartered most of his warriors at some distance in villages. While eating at midday, news was brought in that the enemy was advancing rapidly. Oleg had thought that a sudden feint would put his nephew to flight, but Mystislav held his ground firmly. He quickly called together all his men, and when Oleg was drawing near Suzdal, an army was ready for action in front of him. For four days were the two princes facing each other; neither one saw his way to begin the hard trial. Meanwhile Monomach was hurrying on reinforcements to Mystislav. These were Polovtsi commanded by another son, Vyacheslav. On the fifth day Oleg moved against Suzdal, and Mystislav, having placed the Polovtsi in ambush to attack at the critical moment, marched out to meet him.The battle began, and Mystislav with his Novgorod men was bearing down heavily on the enemy, when the Polovtsi, with Monomach’s banner above them, suddenly rushed at the flank of Oleg’s army. Panic fell on the warriors at sight of that banner;[37]they thought that Monomach was attacking in person, and they fled from the field in disorder.Oleg escaped to Murom, where he left his brother, Yaroslav, and then marched with all speed to Ryazan. Mystislav hastened toMurom, made peace with the people and freed the men seized by Oleg some time earlier, then he pursued Oleg farther. Oleg, learning that Mystislav was approaching, left Ryazan. Mystislav came to terms with the people of Ryazan, as he had with those of Murom. He now sent a second letter to Oleg, urging him to make peace with his cousins. Oleg made a favorable promise, and Mystislav wrote to Monomach on behalf of Oleg, who was his godfather. Because of this letter Monomach, anxious to put an end to the dispute between the princes, sent a mild, but firm message to Oleg. The result was a meeting of the princes in 1097 at Lubetch, a place east of the Dnieper on the land of Chernigoff.Seated on the same carpet, they agreed that in order to put an end to civil war, each prince, or group of princes, should receive the land held by his, or their father. Hence Sviatopolk received Kief with Turoff; to Vladimir went all that Vsevolod, his father, had held,—Smolensk with Rostoff and its settlements. Novgorod fell to Mystislav, who had conquered Oleg; Sviatoslav’s sons, Oleg, David, and Yaroslav, received the lands of Chernigoff. There now remained the izgoi, or orphans, the excluded princes: David, son of Igor, with Vassilko and Volodar, sons of Rostislav. To David was given Volynia, or all that was left of it after the paring of land from that province. Peremysl fell to Volodar, and Terebovl to Vassilko.When everything was thus amicably settled, the princes kissed the cross, and declared that if any one of them should raise hands on another all the rest would oppose that man, and the holy cross be against him. After that they kissed one another and parted.This meeting at Lubetch fixed succession to lands east of the Dnieper by giving what the father had held to the sons of Sviatoslav. But west of that river were, as we shall find, fruitful causes of trouble. In Polotsk was Vseslav, the restless wizard, unrecognized as yet, and dissatisfied. In Volynia was David, son of Igor; next to him were the sons of Rostislav, who had some land which David looked on as a part of Volynia. Vassilko, Prince of Terebovl,[38]was renowned for his activity and enterprise. He had led Polovtsi into Poland and was planning new exploits. Warriors from various tribes were coming even then to serve under him. David, perfidious and grasping, but no warrior, was in ceaseless dread of Vassilko. Before the council at Lubetch was ended, Turijak, Vassili, and Lazar, three men of David’s escort, had persuaded their master that Monomach and Vassilko had formed a plan and were ready for action against him. Vassilko, they said, was to take Volynia, David’s land, while Monomach would seize Kief from Sviatopolk. This tale threatened David with loss of rule, and death or exile. He knew well what wandering and seeking for power meant, so on the way back to Kief he explained this tale to Sviatopolk, and added: “Unless we seize Vassilko at once, thou wilt not stay in Kief, nor I in Volynia.” Since Sviatopolk was doubtful as to the truth of this statement, David developed his reasons for making it: “He killed thy brother Yaropolk, and is now plotting against both of us; he is at one with Monomach.”Sviatopolk was willing to have the deed done, but wished to make David entirely responsible for it. “If thou art speaking the truth,” said he, “God Himself will be witness on thy side. If untruth, He will judge thee.”When Vassilko reached Kief he was invited by Sviatopolk to the feast of his name’s day, but he excused himself, saying that his men had gone ahead and he must overtake them. On hearing this, David sent word to Vassilko as follows: “Offend not thy elder brother, remain for the feast.” Vassilko refused even this request. David turned then to Sviatopolk, with these words: “Here in thy capital he dares to disregard thee. What will the man do in his own land? He will take Pinsk and other towns, thou wilt think of my words then. Send men, seize Vassilko, and give him to me; I will care for him.”Sviatopolk yielded and sent an invitation to Vassilko to visit him at his home: “If thou wilt not stay for my festival,” said he, “visit me this morning, and sit awhile with David and me.”Vassilko consented and was on the way when a servant who met him gave warning: “Go not, O prince,” said he; “they will seize thee.” “God’s will be done,” replied Vassilko and making the sign of the cross, he rode on. Upon his arrival Sviatopolk came to the door of his palace, and greeted him with great[39]cordiality and kindness. Then David appeared, and Vassilko was invited to breakfast with his two kinsmen. Presently Sviatopolk withdrew, as if to give orders, and upon some pretext David followed him. The next moment men rushed into the room, seized Vassilko and put him in double fetters.Sviatopolk now sought the advice of Kief boyars and the clergy. The boyars answered evasively; the clergy took the side of Vassilko, and begged the Kief prince to free him. Sviatopolk seemed to waver. “This is all David’s work,” declared he, “I have no part in it.” David interfered at once, saying: “If thou set him free, we shall not remain princes.” “He is in thy care then,” replied Sviatopolk, and Vassilko was given up to David, who straightway had his eyes put out.Monomach wept when he heard of the tragedy. “Never before,” cried he, “has such a deed as this been done in the midst of us.” And at once he sent to Sviatoslav’s sons, Oleg and David, for aid in chastising the criminal. They came promptly, with forces to help him. The three princes then sent this query to Sviatopolk:“Why commit such iniquity; why cast a knife between princes? Why put thy brother’s eyes out? If he had offended, why not accuse him before us, we would have punished him if guilty. But tell us now what his fault was, what did he do to thee?”“David told me,” replied Sviatopolk, “that Vassilko slew Yaropolk, my brother, that he was preparing to kill me, that Monomach would take Kief and Vassilko Volynia. I had to care for my own life. Besides, it was David, not I, who blinded Vassilko. David took him and on the way home put his eyes out.”“Thou canst not lay thy own sins on David. Not in his land, but in thine, was the deed done,” retorted the envoys, and they left him.Next day, when the three princes were marching on Sviatopolk, he prepared to flee from his capital, but Kief men interposed and sent his stepmother to Monomach. With her went Nikolai the metropolitan, to beg in the name of the city not to make war upon Sviatopolk. They presented such reasons that Monomach was moved, and he sent this injunction: “Since David alone did this deed, as thou sayest, do thou, Sviatopolk, move against David, and either seize the man captive, or drive him out of his province.” Sviatopolk declared himself ready to do this.[40]Vassilko was meanwhile imprisoned by David, who took every town that he could during the winter and set out the next spring before Easter to seize all the lands that remained to his captive. He was met on the boundary, however, by Volodar, who was ready for battle, hence David took refuge in Bugsk. Volodar moved on that place without waiting, and sent this question to David: “Why hast thou done so much evil, and wilt not repent of it? See what immense harm thou hast wrought already.”David laid the guilt upon Sviatopolk. “Was it I who did the deed?” asked he. “Was it done in my capital? I feared to be treated as was thy brother. I was not free; I was at their mercy.” “God knows which man of you is guilty,” said Volodar. “Give me my brother and I will make peace with thee.” David was glad to be free of Vassilko, so peace was declared, and they parted. That peace, however, was not lasting, for David would not yield the towns which he had taken after blinding Vassilko, hence the two brothers attacked him at Vsevolod. But David escaped, shut himself in at Vladimir, and waited.Vsevolod was stormed and burned down. As the people fled from the blazing city, Vassilko commanded Volodar to kill them. Thus he avenged his own wrongs upon innocent people.Next the two brothers hastened to Vladimir. “We have come,” declared they to the citizens, “not against you, but to find Turijak, Vassili, and Lazar, those men who lied foully to David. Through listening to them he has done dreadful evil; yield those three up to us. If ye protect them, we must attack you.” The citizens counseled together and declared then to David: “Yield these three men; for thee we are ready to battle, but not for them.” “They are not here,” replied David. He had sent those attendants to Lutsk to save them. The people forced him to bring back Vassili and Lazar; Turijak had fled to Kief and thus saved himself. Peace was made, and next morning Vassili and Lazar were hanged on two gibbets, in front of Vladimir.Sviatopolk had promised to march against David and expel him, but all this time he was idle; he set out only after a year, and then he moved not directly, but to Brest on the boundary, where he made a Polish alliance. He feared to attack single-handed and acted only when David was beaten by Volodar and Vassilko; even then he wished the Poles to assist him. He also made[41]an alliance with Volodar and Vassilko, and kissed the cross to them.David, too, went to Brest to get Polish aid, and gave fifty gold grievens2to King Vladislav Herman as a present. “Help me!” implored David. “Sviatopolk is in Brest,” said the king, “I will reconcile thee with him.” Vladislav, however, soon discovered by experience that the friendship of Sviatopolk brought a greater return to him than did friendship with David. The Kief prince made richer gifts, and to Vladislav’s son he gave his daughter in marriage. In view of these facts, the king informed David that he had failed in discussions with Sviatopolk. “Go home,” said he; “I will send aid if thy cousin attacks thee.”David went home and waited a long time. Sviatopolk laid siege to Vladimir. David held out, hoping for Polish assistance, which came not. At last he yielded, and the two princes made peace. David marched out, and Sviatopolk, when he had entered Vladimir in triumph, began to think of Volodar and Vassilko. “They are on lands which belonged to my father,” said he, and he marched against the two brothers, forgetting that he had kissed the cross to them recently. He found it most difficult, however, to deal with those princes. When he advanced to invade their lands, Volodar and Vassilko met him promptly on the boundary. Before the battle, which followed immediately, Vassilko held up the cross which Sviatopolk had kissed, and cried out to him: “See what thou didst kiss to prove thy good faith to me. Thou hast robbed me of eyesight, and now thou art trying to kill me. Let this holy cross be between us.”The ensuing battle was savage. Sviatopolk was forced from the field and withdrew to Vladimir, where he put his son, Mystislav, in charge, and sent another son, Yaroslav, to Hungary to find aid against Volodar and Vassilko, he himself going to Kief in the meantime.At Yaroslav’s call, the Hungarian king, Koloman, came with an army and two bishops and laid siege at once to Peremysl, where Volodar had fixed himself. David came back from Poland, where he had begged aid without finding it. Their common danger at this time brought him and his victim together, and, leaving his wife in Volodar’s care, he set out to find Polovtsi allies. He met Bonyak, the famous Polovtsi Khan, who returned with him, bringing[42]a strong force of warriors. They attacked and drove out the Hungarians, and punished them severely. Yaroslav, son of Sviatopolk, who had brought the Hungarians to Russia, fled now to the Poles, and David, making use of his victory with promptness, marched on Vladimir when he was not expected, seized the suburbs and laid siege to the fortress without delay.Mystislav, placed in command, as we have seen, by Sviatopolk, his father, defended the city successfully till misfortune befell him. He was standing one day on the wall behind a wooden curtain when an arrow flew in through a crevice and killed him. His death was concealed from the people for three days. When they learned of it, they said straightway: “If we surrender now, Sviatopolk will destroy us.” So the chief men sent to Kief, saying: “Thy son is slain, we are dying of hunger. If thou come not, the people will yield to the enemy.”Sviatopolk sent his voevoda, Putyata, with forces which halted at Lutsk, where Sviatoslav, son of David of Chernigoff, had warriors. At this juncture envoys from David, son of Rurik, who was besieging Vladimir, had audience with Sviatoslav, who had just sworn friendship to them. But when Putyata appeared, this same Sviatoslav was frightened. He seized David’s envoys, and went himself with his warriors to help Putyata, instead of helping David. These two allies arrived before Vladimir one midday, and attacked David. The Vladimir men, seeing this from the walls of the city, made a sally and David was badly defeated. He fled and Putyata and his ally marched into Vladimir, where they established one Vassili as lieutenant of Sviatopolk. After that the allies departed for Lutsk, and Putyata went to Kief.Meanwhile David fled quickly toward the steppe land to find Polovtsi. Again he met Bonyak, who returned with him, and they captured Lutsk and Vladimir, which David now occupied. Then he sent his nephew, Mystislav, to the mouth of the Dnieper to seize merchants, and thus force the Grand Prince to sue for peace as he had done formerly—Sviatopolk, by nature weak and vacillating, had shown that he was not the man to punish David, who was stronger now than he had ever been before.In 1100 a new meeting of princes was arranged to assemble at Vititchevo. At this meeting the following decision was made known to David: “We will not let thee have Vladimir, because[43]thou hast cast a knife wickedly between us. We do not exclude thee, or punish thee further. Thou canst take Bugsk with Ostrog. Sviatopolk gives thee Dubno and Chartorisk, also Dorogobuj. In addition, Monomach gives thee two hundred grievens, Oleg and David two hundred more.”To Volodar the princes sent the following message: “Take thy brother, Vassilko, and possess Peremysl. If thou wilt not keep thy brother, let him come to us, we will support him.”Volodar and Vassilko would not comply with this, and each remained in the place which belonged to him. When the princes wished to constrain the two brothers, Monomach would not consent to it; he insisted on the Lubetch agreement.The two meetings, the first at Lubetch, the second at Vititchevo, ended that struggle which had raged half a century. The strong princes became stronger, the izgoi (orphans) and their descendants were excluded. Volodar and Vassilko were the only izgoi who retained a province. The descendants of Vyacheslav, son of Yaroslav, lost their places in the first generation; those of Igor, his brother, in the second. Later on they reappear as petty princes of small places without independent significance. With full and equal rights appear only the descendants of the three elder sons of Yaroslav, Izyaslav, Sviatoslav and Vsevolod. Of these, the sons of Sviatoslav saved themselves only after a bitter and bloody struggle, thanks also to the moderation of Monomach, and his son Mystislav.The division of land between the descendants of these three sons of Yaroslav the Lawgiver was unequal. Monomach, through his superior personality and favoring fortune, received a much larger portion than his brothers. He received Pereyaslavl, Novgorod, Smolensk and Rostoff. Sviatopolk received Volynia, but Novgorod, connected always so closely with Kief, did not fall to him. The sons of Sviatoslav, Oleg and his brothers, received nothing beyond the land which their father had held.Sviatopolk was greatly dissatisfied that Novgorod did not remain with his house. As he could not take it from Monomach without compensation, he gave Volynia in return for it. But when Mystislav, Monomach’s son, was recalled to give place to a son of Sviatopolk, the men of Novgorod revolted, and sent envoys to Kief with this message: “Novgorod wishes neither Sviatopolk[44]nor his descendants. If Sviatopolk’s son has two heads, let him come to us.” Sviatopolk had to live without Novgorod.Monomach, now free to act against steppe tribes, urged Sviatopolk to help him. “Let us join our forces,” said he, “and march in the spring against these enemies.” Sviatopolk turned to his warriors for counsel. They were unwilling to move, and answered that war during spring months took men from their labor. “Let us meet in some place, and consult with the warriors,” was Sviatopolk’s answer to Monomach. They met at Dolobsk, above Kief, on the bank of the Dnieper. “Begin, brother, thou art the elder,” said Monomach; “tell what we are to do in our Russia.” “Begin thou, that is better,” answered Sviatopolk. “How am I to speak,” replied Monomach, “thy warriors will oppose, and say that I wish to ruin earth-tillers and their labor, though I wonder why they are so tender of earth-tillers, forgetting how Polovtsi come in the spring-time, strike down each man in his furrow, take his wife, take his children, seize his horse, and burn his granary.” “True,” said the warriors. “Thou art right, they do much evil.” “I am ready to go!” exclaimed Sviatopolk. And he rose and proclaimed the expedition. “Thou hast done a great deed, O my brother,” said Monomach.The two princes sent at once to the sons of Sviatoslav, saying: “Let us march against the Polovtsi, we shall either fall in the struggle, or survive it.” David promised aid, but Oleg would not go. His health was too frail, he said. Four other princes joined willingly in making war on the steppe foes of Russia.The Polovtsi learned what was coming, and met in council. Some were in favor of buying peace, but the younger men called loudly for war, and their side won the mastery.A force was sent out to reconnoitre. The princes met this force, cut down every man in it, advanced on the main army quickly and struck it. A fierce struggle followed. Twenty Polovtsi chiefs were killed, and a Khan named Beldug was captured. Beldug, when brought to Sviatopolk, offered much ransom for his life in gold, silver, cattle, horses and camels. Sviatopolk sent him to Monomach for judgment. “How often hast thou sworn not to war with us,” said Monomach to the Khan, “but still thou attack. Why not teach thy sons what an oath is? How much Christian blood hast thou shed? But now thy own blood be on[45]thee, not on our heads.” With that, he gave a sign to his men, and Beldug was cut to pieces.Immense booty was taken, and the princes went home rejoicing, and with great glory. The terrible Bonyak was alive yet, however, and made his power felt very keenly.In 1106 Sviatopolk sent three voevodas against Polovtsi, whom they defeated, and from whom they recovered much booty. In 1107, near Pereyaslavl, Bonyak seized large herds of horses. Somewhat later he appeared with other Khans and encamped at the Sula River near Lubni. Sviatopolk, Monomach, and Oleg, with four other princes, discovered his camping-ground, and, stealing up to it, made an attack with great outcry. The Polovtsi had no time to defend themselves. Those who could seized their beasts, mounted and fled; those who could not mount rushed off on foot, if they were able. The princes pursued them to the river Horol, slaying all whom they could reach with their sabres.Despite these successes, Oleg and David in that same year held a meeting with two Khans, whose daughters they took as wives for two of their sons.In 1110 an expedition undertaken by Sviatopolk, Monomach and David came to naught, but in 1111 they set out on the second Monday in Lent, and on Friday before Passion Week they met the Polovtsi in large force beyond the Don River, and crushed them. It was not till the following Monday, however, that they found the main host of the enemy. When the two armies met, there was a roar like thunder, as the chronicler describes it, and the battle was merciless. Both sides were equal and balanced each other till David and Monomach, with two regiments, rushed furiously at the enemy’s center and pierced it. At this the Russians dashed forward with renewed strength, broke the Polovtsi and, cutting and slashing, pursued them to the steppes.This was the greatest victory won up to that time over Polovtsi. The profit of the exploit was enormous, and the fame of it extended through Europe. It went both to Rome and to Tsargrad. Though all the princes helped Monomach, they could not of themselves have conceived such a feat or have accomplished it, hence to him the chief glory was due, and was given. For him and for the whole land and people there was great benefit in conquering the Polovtsi. For him, because those tribes were ever ready to[46]harass and plunder, and doubly ready to help any prince in his projects.To landless princes, or those who had quarrels, the Polovtsi were ready aids, but they were the terror of all who tilled land or lived by labor. To a great chief like Monomach they were enemies nearly always, for principally through them civil war and disorder were possible. A prince without land or position might find among Polovtsi at all times men ready to go with him and take their reward in plundering the country and enslaving as many people as they could lay hands on.It was difficult in those days to be a Grand Prince ruling wisely and with justice. Such a man had to get the throne of Kief first, and then hold it; he had to satisfy, or eliminate, the unreasoning and unruly; he had to crush or terrorize the Polovtsi; he had, by victory, a show of power, or a daring front, to ward off his western neighbors. When these deeds were all accomplished he might begin to work for wealth and order. We can understand easily the desire of Monomach to crush the Polovtsi, and his joy at having tamed them, at least for a season.In 1113 Sviatopolk died, and Monomach succeeded him, but he took the highest office only after a hesitation which we may believe to have been shown to make men express themselves with the utmost emphasis. Sviatoslav was older than Monomach’s father, but Sviatoslav, though he had been prince in Kief, was prince by expelling Izyaslav unjustly, and, though Sviatoslav had ceased to live before Izyaslav was reinstated, and therefore died in office, he might be considered as not having been in Kief at any time; his sons in this event could have no real claim. In every case the people would receive no man except Monomach, and he became Grand Prince by acclamation.Though the sons of Sviatoslav made no demands in public, they cherished plans in secret, as was shown somewhat later, and very clearly. But trouble came immediately from other princes. Glaib of Minsk, a son of Vseslav, that swift moving wizard, so well known to us, ravaged lands in Monomach’s possessions, and when asked to cease made sharp reproaches. Because of this, the Grand Prince, in 1116, marched against Minsk with his sons, and others. The young princes seized various towns, and Monomach resolved to capture Minsk at every hazard, hence[47]he fixed his camp before it, and had a house built in haste, for headquarters. When Glaib saw this house, he begged for peace straightway, and it was granted him. Somewhat later he rebelled again, and in 1120 was brought to Kief, where he died that same season.The next scene of trouble was Volynia. Sviatopolk, the last Grand Prince, had cherished good feeling toward Monomach, and had caused Yaroslav, his son, to marry the daughter of Mystislav of Novgorod, son of Monomach. Sometime later, however, Monomach laid siege to Vladimir, Yaroslav’s capital. After fighting two months, that prince asked for peace, and Monomach granted it on condition that Yaroslav would come to him whenever summoned. The attack on Yaroslav had been made because, in connection with Boleslav of Poland, who had married his sister, he was acting in Galitch against Volodar and Vassilko. Monomach had remonstrated without effect, and then moved on Yaroslav, with the result we have just seen. Before going on this expedition, the Grand Prince had recalled Mystislav from Novgorod, and installed him in Bailgorod, so that in case of need he might have that son near him. Yaroslav, who, because his father had been Grand Prince, wished to succeed Monomach, saw in this transfer a step toward taking the succession from him and giving it to Mystislav, hence his enforced obedience was short-lived, and he ended it by driving away his wife, a granddaughter of Monomach. In punishment for this act Monomach moved a second time against him.To think of war with Vladimir Monomach, Yaroslav must have counted on large forces, and have had firm faith in receiving assistance from allies. But just then his own boyars deserted him, and he was obliged to flee to Hungary, and later on to Poland.Monomach then seated in Volynia Roman, his own son, and when this son died, Andrei, his brother. In 1120 Andrei moved against the Poles with Polovtsi forces. In the following year Yaroslav set out to attack Cherven in Galitch with Polish forces, but Monomach had the border towns well strengthened and in Cherven was Ratiborovitch, his voevoda, who drove back Yaroslav, entirely baffled.Most dangerous to the Poles was Volodar, who had as allies tribes in Pomoria and in Prussia on the Baltic. These tribes were[48]hostile to the Poles. The question now was to stop Volodar. At the court of Boleslav there lived Peter Vlast, a Dane of many adventures, who advised the king not to meet Prince Volodar in battle, but to kidnap him, and promised, if permission were given, to accomplish the deed himself.The king was pleased, and Vlast, who had gained much renown through marvelous exploits, set out with thirty men to win the confidence of Volodar and capture him. He appeared before the prince and, feigning himself an exile in deadly enmity with Boleslav, quickly won Volodar’s good-will and confidence. Some weeks later the prince took Vlast to a hunt in a great forest where, adroitly separated from his own people, Volodar was seized by Vlast’s men, who bore him beyond the boundary and never drew rein till they delivered him safely to Boleslav. The king was triumphant.Vassilko the Blind gave all the money that he and his brother possessed to free Volodar; besides this, those two sons of Rostislav swore to act with the Poles against every enemy.In 1123 Yaroslav, son of Sviatopolk, appeared at Vladimir with immense forces,—Cheks, Poles and Hungarians, bringing also as allies Volodar and Vassilko. Monomach’s son, Andrei, who was prince there, defended the city. Monomach sent forward Mystislav, and also hurried men from Kief, but before Mystislav could arrive the siege was well ended.Early one Sunday morning Yaroslav rode toward the walls with two attendants, and shouted to Andrei and the citizens: “This city is mine! Open ye the gates and come out to me with homage. If not I will storm the place to-morrow and take it.”While he was thus riding in front of the city and boasting, two Poles, employed, as is said, by Andrei, slipped out and hid near the wayside. When the prince was retiring from the walls, they sprang up and sent a spear through his body. He reached camp, barely living, and died a few hours later.Stephen II, King of Hungary, thought to continue the siege, but the chiefs of his army were opposed to shedding blood without profit. In view of this, the allies of Yaroslav, the late prince, made peace with the Kief prince and retired each to his own land. Through Yaroslav’s death Sviatopolk’s descendants lost the Kief succession. Four years later his younger sons, Izyaslav[49]and Bryache, died, so that Volynia and Turoff went to Monomach’s descendants.Monomach’s strength with the people swept all men and obstacles before it. Yaroslav, with a foreign army, failed in Volynia, because the people and the boyars would not uphold him, but stood firm for Monomach. Monomach saw the danger of Russia’s falling into a chaos of insignificant and independent principalities, therefore he strove to increase the authority of the Grand Prince, and to restrict the succession to his own descendants, with the provision that if the younger brothers died before the eldest, who was Prince of Kief, their sons were to be excluded forever from the succession.New persons now and dramatic scenes pass before us swiftly. Vladimir Monomach, always spoken of in Russia as Monomach, died in 1125, and with him departed the prosperity of ancient Russia. He had come to the throne with thirty years of experience in statescraft. He had been the right hand of his father, and without him Sviatopolk could not have ruled at all. He was a man who worked always for what he thought to be the good of his country. Like his grandfather, he was a founder of cities and a lawgiver. There is an interesting paper still extant which he compiled for the guidance of his sons, some clauses of which I will quote: “It is neither fasting nor solitude nor monastic life that will procure you life eternal—it is well doing. Forget not the poor, but nourish them. Bury not your riches in the earth, for that is contrary to the teachings of Christianity.3Be a father to orphans; judge the cause of widows yourself. Put to death no human being, be he innocent or guilty, for there is nothing more sacred than the soul of a Christian. Love your wives, but beware lest they obtain power over you. When you have learned something useful, strive to retain it in your memory, and work unceasingly for knowledge.”Monomach had eight sons, named here in the order of their ages: Mystislav the Great, who succeeded his father; Izyaslav, killed before Murom in battling against Oleg of Chernigoff; Sviatoslav, given once as a hostage to Kitan and then stolen away in the night at Pereyaslavl on the Alta; Roman, famous in nothing, married the sister of the renowned Vladimirko of Galitch; Yaropolk,[50]who reigned in Kief after Mystislav, and died without issue; Vyacheslav, “of scant mind and simple,” who raised Monomach’s ensign over the Polovtsi contingent at Koloksha, and thus routed Oleg; Yuri, named later on Dolgoruki, or Long-Handed (Grasping); and Andrei, who died rather early.The two sons of Vladimir Monomach renowned in history are Mystislav the Great, and Yuri, surnamed Dolgoruki. From the first comes the elder, from the second the younger line of Monomach’s descendants. Mystislav became the ancestor of the Western Russian princes, those of Galitch (Galicia), Smolensk and Volynia. Yuri, through the founding of Moscow and the results flowing from it, became the father of that northern line of princes so famous in history. The descendants of these two brothers were often at enmity, and it was their rivalry which later on ruined Kief.Mystislav succeeded his father in 1125 without opposition. Oleg of Chernigoff had died during Monomach’s reign, so had David, his brother. Only Yaroslav, the youngest brother, now remained. He, not greatly considered in his family, was expelled from Chernigoff by Vsevolod, his nephew, and founded in Ryazan a new principality.Mystislav’s reign was distinguished for three things. First he brought to order those Polovtsi who would live in peace near the boundary, and crushed or expelled the others; then he seized all lands of the Polotsk princes, the descendants of Rognyeda, that unwilling wife of Vladimir (Saint Vladimir of the Orthodox Church). We have seen how those Polotsk princes, when excluded from the Kief succession, harried Smolensk and raided Novgorod, bringing ceaseless trouble and never-ending bloodshed. Later on both Pinsk and Turoff had been taken from them. This intensified resistance, and, as they would abate no claim whatever, Mystislav resolved at last to end the trouble. He captured all those princes and, putting them on a vessel, sent them to Tsargrad, where the Emperor, his friend, detained the captives. Some died; the survivors, or most of them, escaped in later days, and ruled again in parts of Polotsk, but soon were lost to fame, unless the tradition be true that Gedimin and his sons, who seized Western Russia during Mongol dominion and joined it with Poland through marriage, were descended from those Polotsk princes who returned[51]from Tsargrad. A third event in Mystislav’s reign was the founding of Ryazan, which happened in this way.Oleg of Chernigoff, who died during Monomach’s reign, was succeeded by his youngest brother, Yaroslav. Of Oleg’s sons the second, Vsevolod, later on the Kief prince, was a man who in early life had planned a great career very carefully. He had married the eldest daughter of Mystislav the Great, and had thus become connected with Monomach’s descendants. When Mystislav succeeded Monomach, his father, in Kief, Vsevolod drove his uncle from the throne of Chernigoff, and seated himself there. Vsevolod was unceremonious with Yaroslav because the man was not strong, and because he himself wanted Kief when the time came to get it. To possess Kief, he must first win, or get Chernigoff, hence must drive out his uncle.Yaroslav turned for assistance to Mystislav, who was willing to reinstate him by force even, if need be. It was the proper policy of Kief to act thus, and be the arbiter in Russia. But times had changed much, and Kief men were no longer willing to fight for helpless princes. Yaroslav, unable to fight his battles alone, and forced to withdraw from Chernigoff, settled in Ryazan, where he founded a new line of princes.Mystislav reigned seven years and died in 1132. He was succeeded by Yaropolk, his brother, who, himself without issue, swore to provide in all fairness for Mystislav’s children. He strove to do this without offending any one, but was unable, as there were not places enough for the two lines of landless princes. The first step he took was to summon from Novgorod Vsevolod, son of the late Mystislav, and give him Pereyaslavl on the Alta. Thereupon Yuri Dolgoruki marched with astonishing swiftness from Suzdal to the Alta, fell upon Vsevolod and expelled him. His reason for this act was that for three reigns Pereyaslavl had been, as it were, the stepping-stone to Kief, the capital and first place, the transfer being made from Pereyaslavl. Dolgoruki, as uncle to Vsevolod, was his senior, and would not permit him to settle in Pereyaslavl and thus obtain the succession.The sons of Mystislav rose up now against their uncles, and, to gain force sufficient to war with them, made a league with their cousins, David of Chernigoff and Oleg, his brother. Yaropolk, Mystislav’s brother, and brother of Yuri, moved against Chernigoff.[52]Mystislav’s sons helped the Chernigoff princes, and when these sons attacked their uncle, Dolgoruki, Vsevolod, son of the late Oleg the endless quarreler, went to help them. Meanwhile the condition of Kief was almost repeated in Novgorod.When the late Prince of Kief, Mystislav the Great, was recalled from Novgorod by Monomach, his father, his brother Vsevolod was sent to replace him. During Vsevolod’s day the dignity of prince was lowered notably in Novgorod. In earlier times the posadnik had been an aid to the prince,—an assistant; he was now his associate, and at times even his superior. Vsevolod was disliked in Novgorod because, as the men there declared, he had left it for another place, that is, Pereyaslavl on the Alta. He had fought against his uncle Dolgoruki, and had fled from him. They said, too, that he cared only for falcons and hunting; that he sided with the rich, and with boyars; that he looked with contempt on poor people, and on small folk. To these words they added a deed never witnessed till that day in Novgorod. They seized Vsevolod, locked him up in a tower and set a watch around it. They sought then for a prince who might please them. Some, unwilling to offend Dolgoruki, their dangerous neighbor, thought to choose Rostislav, his son, as their ruler, but others, who were greater in number, prevailed and turned to Chernigoff. Vsevolod, son of Oleg, sent his brother, Sviatoslav, but Novgorod was no better pleased with the new than with the late prince.Pskoff, up to this time dependent on Novgorod, resolved now to break its bonds. Vsevolod, freed from the Novgorod tower and expelled from the city, went to Pskoff and was received joyfully. Novgorod sent Sviatoslav, its new prince, with warriors to subdue the Pskoff men, but Sviatoslav, finding the task both impossible and useless, led his men back to Novgorod. The city, enraged at this failure, turned out the new prince, and sent him home to Chernigoff.Thus disorder was rife in all places, and only after much time and great effort was Yaropolk, the Grand Prince, able to satisfy his nephews, without, at the same time, enraging his brothers. When all were in a deadlock of dissension and wearied of fighting, he gave them lands in the following order: Izyaslav, eldest son of Mystislav, received for his sons the Polotsk principality, or the greater part of it, and for himself Volynia and its adjuncts. His[53]brother, Rostislav, received Smolensk, which, increased by additions from Polotsk and Volynia, became a great principality. Vsevolod, son of Mystislav, connected with Pskoff till his death, left no posterity. Vladimir and Sviatopolk, also sons of Mystislav, received nothing and led a landless existence. Yaropolk’s brothers, that is, the other surviving sons of Monomach, were settled thuswise: Yuri Dolgoruki retained his northern land in entirety. He obtained also Gorodok on the Oseter, a place which he prized because of its connection with Kief and with Southern Russia. Pereyaslavl was given to Andrei, the youngest brother. Having settled questions as best he was able Yaropolk had little left for himself save the capital.It is to be remembered that besides the few leading princes, who gave away or received immense regions, there was now a horde of small princes, all related to one another and to the great ones. These it was necessary to satisfy, some with a single town, others with more, as the case might be. There was not land enough to satisfy all, however, for sons of the ruling princes were increasing in number. There were also princes who, dying before they had received places, left orphans. These orphans needed sustenance; they were of princely blood and, what was of more importance, made trouble when discontented, if they had power to do so. This great band of land-seekers turned to the Kief prince, who was for them in the place of a father. Yaropolk, while trying to settle princes of this kind, was forced to set aside towns to support them till he could find permanent places. Thus Kief was soon reduced to narrow limits.At first the lands of the mother city covered all Southern Russia. On the southwest and the south they touched the Carpathians and the Danube; on the west they reached the headwaters of every river flowing toward the Euxine and included some rivers flowing into the Baltic. They extended toward the Volga and the Caspian till they reached the territory occupied by the wild tribes of the Polovtsi. But now, by gifts to the dissatisfied and the demanding, Yaropolk left little to the city. In later reigns there was nothing left, and in that final day a Kief prince was no longer the highest power in Russia; he was scarcely more than a guardian of the capital.It was not the might of Kief which, in his day, gave Yaropolk[54]influence, but his native worth, and his character, which recalled that of Monomach, his father. Lofty qualities gave him strength against Vsevolod, the keen, cunning, shifty son of Oleg. Vsevolod had not seized Chernigoff from his uncle to sit there in quietness; he aimed at Kief, through which alone power was at that time obtainable, and power was the lodestar of his existence.During Mystislav’s reign Vsevolod had made no move whatever, and, while Yaropolk was settling with his brothers and nephews, he took no part with the dissatisfied, but when Yaropolk had decided every question, the crafty Vsevolod joined hands with Igor and Sviatoslav, his cousins, sons of David, and attacked Yaropolk on both sides of the Dnieper. Fire and sword swept through those lands on the Ros and the Sula, and west of the Dnieper a great war began in which all men of weapons took part with eagerness. After several preliminary battles troops hurried in from many places,—brothers and nephews came to help Yaropolk. From Volynia, Polotsk, Smolensk, Rostoff, Turoff and Suzdal did they come. Yaropolk himself led the regiments of Kief and the Black Caps, called also “Cherkassi” (Circassians).At sight of these overwhelming forces Vsevolod lost all hope of victory. He prepared to abandon Chernigoff and flee to the Polovtsi, but he was stopped by the bishop at the head of the people. “Halt,” said the bishop; “leave thy pride, and beg for peace. Yaropolk is kind and generous; he will grant it.” Vsevolod listened to this advice, and sent envoys to Yaropolk, who received the men graciously, gave presents in return for those brought by them, forgave Vsevolod, and made peace.Yaropolk’s advisers were enraged at this peace. They desired the destruction of Vsevolod, and wished to avenge their comrades who had fallen in recent battles, but Yaropolk was firm; he dismissed his forces and returned to Kief, where he ruled for a season, and then died, after years of sore trial and effort.Yaropolk was succeeded in 1150 by his brother, Vyacheslav, a prince “poor in wit, and simple,” as the chronicler assures us, but in fact a person original and most interesting,—one of “God’s fools” in the language of myth tales. Vsevolod’s chance appeared now, and he seized it greedily. He promised Chernigoff to his cousins, Monomach’s descendants, and then pledged to his brothers all the possessions of those same descendants of Monomach,[55]thus promising to men what was not their own, but their neighbors’. He fell upon Kief, fired the suburbs, and sent this message to Vyacheslav: “Go in peace out of Kief.” “Not of myself did I come to Kief,” replied Vyacheslav; “I came, commanded by my ancestors and in succession to my brother. If thou, abandoning thine own, hast come to take what belongs to thy senior, I will offer no resistance; I become thy junior.” And he went out of Kief, thus making his withdrawal a reproach and a shame to Vsevolod.That prince, however, cared no whit for reproach and shame; he wanted power. To him all else, be it right or wrong, was as nothing. Hence he entered Kief in pomp and great circumstance. An immense feast was placed before the people, and to the monasteries and churches rich presents were given. Highly gifted with the art of pleasing, and lavish of money and flattery, Vsevolod won the multitude quickly.This seizure and holding of sovereignty by a man in a junior and excluded line was a real exploit. How did Vsevolod accomplish it; and, once having Kief, how did he hold it? Why did Monomach’s descendants let Oleg’s son take possession of the city, which was theirs by inheritance, and thus lose that which distinguished them from all other princes?The position of Monomach’s descendants was peculiar at this juncture. It was involved beyond measure. Though the strongest group of men in Russia, they had no leader. The oldest of Monomach’s three surviving sons, Vyacheslav the Simple, was incompetent in action; the second, Yuri Dolgoruki, was competent, but not ready at that time. He was little known in southern regions, and, so far as known, was unpopular. Andrei, the youngest brother, was popular, but could not be the leader.The man best fitted to be Grand Prince was Izyaslav, then ruling in Volynia. He was the eldest son of Mystislav the Great, who was the eldest son of Monomach. But Izyaslav was barred from action by his three living uncles, the younger brothers of his father. He could not win Kief without them, and they would neither yield to him, nor help him.The house of Monomach was thus divided. Vsevolod saw clearly that, thanks to this division, he could seize the capital, and hold it. Hence he hastened to win over Izyaslav with the following[56]message: “At thy father’s death, Kief should have been thine, but thy uncles would not suffer thee to take it; they expelled thee and thy brothers from every place, and had I not assisted, ye would to-day have no land in Russia. I want Kief. Thou and thy brothers will be as my own blood to me. Ye will get the choicest places, and at my death Kief will fall to thee, Izyaslav, but thou and they must not help thy uncles to oppose me.”These words pleased Izyaslav; he and Vsevolod made a pact and kissed the cross to keep it. Owing to this pact, Vsevolod appeared in Kief with slender forces and found few men opposing, though Kief might have resisted very easily. Once in power, Vsevolod became expectant; he waited to see what would happen.The Monomach party, both uncles and nephews, met promptly for counsel. Izyaslav went to Smolensk to confer with Rostislav, to whom Dolgoruki went also. Rostislav could not act with both nephews and uncles. To Dolgoruki he had been respectful at all times, and now Dolgoruki’s talks with him were successful. Vsevolod learned of this, and was ready for action immediately. He made proposals to Izyaslav, whom he invited to Kief. Izyaslav would not go; he had lost all faith in Vsevolod; he would have nothing further to do with him.Izyaslav and his friends now began preparations for an attack on the usurper.Vsevolod resolved to forestall his enemies; to meet each separately, take his land and give it to his brothers as he had promised. Against Vyacheslav, whom he had driven out of Kief, and Izyaslav, his cousin, he sent Izyaslav, son of David, with Vladimirko and Rostislav, the Galitch princes, grandsons of Rostislav. Vsevolod himself marched against Andrei, son of Monomach, in Pereyaslavl, taking with him his own brother Sviatoslav, for whom he intended this city. While on the road he sent Andrei a message containing the sentence: “Go thou to Kursk!” “I will die rather than leave my inheritance,” retorted Andrei. “My father ruled here, not in Kursk. If there is not sufficient land for thee elsewhere in Russia, and thou must have this place, slay me and take it. While I live, I will not leave what belongs to me.”Vsevolod did not in person attack Andrei’s forces, but sent Sviatoslav, his brother, who was defeated. Next day they made peace. The terms, as we know them, left Andrei in his capital[57]while he agreed to join in no war upon Vsevolod, and to recognize him as Grand Prince. The prince returned to Kief then, defeated, but still with some part of a victory.The attack on Volynia was a failure, but Vladimirko of Galitch and the Poles, his allies, succeeded in a degree. They captured towns, but they could not expel Izyaslav or his uncle. There, as in other places outside of Chernigoff, the people favored Monomach’s line, though neither Yuri of Suzdal nor Rostislav of Smolensk had given aid to them. The reason aid did not come was that Novgorod would not help Izyaslav, and had driven out Yuri’s son Rostislav. Yuri returned then to Suzdal and seized Torjok to punish Novgorod by stopping supplies.While Yuri was acting thus, Rostislav of Smolensk dared not move against Vsevolod. Peace was concluded because of this balance of forces. Izyaslav got Volynia, and Vsevolod was acknowledged as Grand Prince.Division among opponents gave Vsevolod the headship. Had they been united he could not have taken Kief, or, if he had taken that city, he could not have retained it. Even now his hold, though efficient, was exceedingly slender and delicate, for among his adherents, that is, his cousins and his brothers, there was endless dissension and wrangling.[58]1This phrase is a declaration of war.↑2The value of the gold grieven was about one hundred and eighty-six rubles while that of the silver grieven was from four to five rubles.↑3The burying of gold and silver was customary at that time.↑

CHAPTER IIVLADIMIR MONOMACH

In 1093 Vsevolod died at the age of sixty-four. His successor was Sviatopolk, son of Izyaslav, a weak and worthless man. Then came trouble and turmoil. “Those were days,” an old song says, “when strife was sown, when it grew as grain in the field grows, when men’s lives were shortened by princes’ struggles, when the cry of the earth-tiller was heard only rarely, but often the scream of the crows wrangling over corpses.” Monomach, the bravest and ablest of all the descendants of Yaroslav, might have taken the Kief throne had he wished, since the Kief people begged him to do so, but he feared civil war and refused, saying: “Sviatopolk’s father was older than my father; he reigned first in Kief.”Sviatopolk, greedy and cruel, showed his character quickly. Envoys from the Polovtsi came to sell peace to him. He cast them into prison. When the Polovtsi heard of this insult they made war with the utmost vigor.Sviatopolk then freed the envoys and asked for peace, but could not get it. He began at once to prepare for war on a small scale, but at last took advice and asked aid of Monomach, who came, bringing with him his brother. The three princes with their combined forces attacked the Polovtsi, though Monomach urged peace, since the enemy outnumbered them notably. The Russians were beaten in a savage encounter and Rostislav, Monomach’s brother, was drowned while crossing a river; Monomach himself had a narrow escape when struggling to save him. Elated with triumph, the Polovtsi hastened toward Kief, ravaging all before them. Sviatopolk, who had taken refuge in the capital, summoned fresh warriors and went out to meet the enemy a second time, but was again defeated and fled back to Kief with but two attendants.[34]As Sviatopolk now wished greatly for peace, he gave what the Polovtsi asked, and took the Khan’s daughter in marriage.Oleg, son of Sviatoslav of Chernigoff, one of the most resolute and active men of the eleventh century, came also with peace to sell, leading in a new army of Polovtsi. The crushing defeats which his cousins had suffered prepared the way for him. He laid siege to Chernigoff, harried the surrounding country and burned churches and villages. For eight days his Polovtsi worked at the stronghold, then Monomach sent a message to Oleg declaring that to stop bloodshed and ruin he would march from the city. Peace was made on that basis, and Oleg became master of Chernigoff.Pereyaslavl was now Monomach’s capital, and continued to be so during a time of sore trial and waiting. Pereyaslavl was the place which the Polovtsi struck first of all, when marching against Russia. Monomach lived three years in this exposed capital, where he suffered through lack of means and from ceaseless attacks of the Polovtsi. In 1095 two Khans, Itlar and Kitan, came to Pereyaslavl to sell peace, that is to take treasure for a promise of peace, and then break the promise.Itlar went with his men to the stronghold to pass the night there and was lodged at the house of Ratibor, a distinguished boyar.Kitan remained between the outer wall and the second one, and Monomach gave Sviatoslav, his son, to Kitan as hostage for the safety of Itlar.A man by the name of Slavata, who had come that day on some mission from Sviatopolk in Kief, persuaded Ratibor to get consent from Monomach to kill those Polovtsi. “How could I permit such a deed?” demanded Monomach; “I have given my oath to Itlar:” “The Polovtsi give oaths to thee, and then slay and ruin us on all sides. That they will do this time also.” Monomach yielded after much persuasion, and that night men were sent out who stole away Sviatoslav and then killed Kitan with his attendants. Itlar, at Ratibor’s house, knew nothing of what had happened. Next morning Ratibor’s men climbed to the top of the house in which Itlar was lodging, opened the roof and killed the Polovtsi warriors with arrows. Sviatopolk and Monomach moved at once to the steppe against the Polovtsi and sent to Oleg for aid in the struggle. Oleg went, but held aloof through[35]suspicion. The two princes were successful. The Polovtsi, taken unawares, were badly defeated. The princes seized men, cattle, horses and camels, and returned home with rich booty.Oleg’s conduct had angered Sviatopolk and Monomach seriously. “Thou art unwilling to join us against the vile enemy,” said they. “In thy house Itlar’s son is now living; give him to us, or else kill him.” Oleg would not yield to his cousins. Soon after they sent this message: “Come to Kief and take counsel, so that we may defend Russia together.” “I will not let priests and common men judge me,” replied Oleg. This answer enraged Kief people, and Sviatopolk and Monomach declared war against Oleg without another question. “Thou wilt not help us to crush pagans,” said they, “or meet us in council. Thou art plotting to strengthen the enemy. Let God judge between us.”1The two princes now marched on Chernigoff. Oleg fled thence to Starodub and shut himself in there. The princes laid siege to the place, and during thirty-three days they made vigorous onsets, but the defense was most resolute. At last the besieged were exhausted, and Oleg was obliged to beg for peace. “Go to David, thy brother,” replied the princes, “and come with him to Kief. Kief is the mother city. In Kief ruled our ancestors. Let us meet there and settle all questions.” Oleg kissed the cross in assent and set out for Smolensk to find David, but upon arriving at that city the people would not allow him to enter, so he turned and went back toward Ryazan.Since Oleg and David did not come to Kief to make peace and take counsel, the two princes marched on Smolensk. David now made peace with them, on what terms is unknown to us, while Oleg, with his own men and some warriors sent him by David in secret, advanced against Murom to expel Izyaslav, son of Monomach. Izyaslav, having a numerous force, went out to meet Oleg. “Go to Rostoff, which belonged to thy father,” said Izyaslav, “but leave my father’s portion.” “I wish to be here,” replied Oleg. Izyaslav now gave battle. A fierce struggle followed, and Izyaslav fell in the fight before the walls of Murom. The town then received Oleg, who hurried on straightway to Suzdal, which also surrendered. Of the citizens some he held captive while others were sent to various places in his own land,[36]but he seized all of their property. He appeared next in front of Rostoff, which surrendered at once, and he appointed men to collect taxes there.Oleg held now all lands connected with Murom. At this juncture there came to him an envoy from Mystislav, prince in Novgorod, with this message: “Leave Suzdal and Murom. Take not another man’s province. I will make peace between thee and my father, even though thou hast slain Izyaslav, my brother.”Oleg would not listen. After such a victory he had no desire for peace. He planned to take Novgorod, he had even sent forward his brother, Yaroslav, and was going to assist him. Mystislav sent men, who seized Oleg’s tax-gatherers. In view of this, Yaroslav warned Oleg to guard himself carefully, that forces were advancing from Novgorod. Oleg turned back to Rostoff, but Mystislav followed him. He then left Rostoff for Suzdal; his enemy hurried straight after him. Oleg burned Suzdal and fled to Murom. Mystislav reached Suzdal and halted. From Suzdal he sent an envoy again to make peace, if possible.Oleg, doubtful of victory through force, now sought it through strategy. He sent back words of seeming friendliness, and was watchful.Mystislav, thinking peace near, quartered most of his warriors at some distance in villages. While eating at midday, news was brought in that the enemy was advancing rapidly. Oleg had thought that a sudden feint would put his nephew to flight, but Mystislav held his ground firmly. He quickly called together all his men, and when Oleg was drawing near Suzdal, an army was ready for action in front of him. For four days were the two princes facing each other; neither one saw his way to begin the hard trial. Meanwhile Monomach was hurrying on reinforcements to Mystislav. These were Polovtsi commanded by another son, Vyacheslav. On the fifth day Oleg moved against Suzdal, and Mystislav, having placed the Polovtsi in ambush to attack at the critical moment, marched out to meet him.The battle began, and Mystislav with his Novgorod men was bearing down heavily on the enemy, when the Polovtsi, with Monomach’s banner above them, suddenly rushed at the flank of Oleg’s army. Panic fell on the warriors at sight of that banner;[37]they thought that Monomach was attacking in person, and they fled from the field in disorder.Oleg escaped to Murom, where he left his brother, Yaroslav, and then marched with all speed to Ryazan. Mystislav hastened toMurom, made peace with the people and freed the men seized by Oleg some time earlier, then he pursued Oleg farther. Oleg, learning that Mystislav was approaching, left Ryazan. Mystislav came to terms with the people of Ryazan, as he had with those of Murom. He now sent a second letter to Oleg, urging him to make peace with his cousins. Oleg made a favorable promise, and Mystislav wrote to Monomach on behalf of Oleg, who was his godfather. Because of this letter Monomach, anxious to put an end to the dispute between the princes, sent a mild, but firm message to Oleg. The result was a meeting of the princes in 1097 at Lubetch, a place east of the Dnieper on the land of Chernigoff.Seated on the same carpet, they agreed that in order to put an end to civil war, each prince, or group of princes, should receive the land held by his, or their father. Hence Sviatopolk received Kief with Turoff; to Vladimir went all that Vsevolod, his father, had held,—Smolensk with Rostoff and its settlements. Novgorod fell to Mystislav, who had conquered Oleg; Sviatoslav’s sons, Oleg, David, and Yaroslav, received the lands of Chernigoff. There now remained the izgoi, or orphans, the excluded princes: David, son of Igor, with Vassilko and Volodar, sons of Rostislav. To David was given Volynia, or all that was left of it after the paring of land from that province. Peremysl fell to Volodar, and Terebovl to Vassilko.When everything was thus amicably settled, the princes kissed the cross, and declared that if any one of them should raise hands on another all the rest would oppose that man, and the holy cross be against him. After that they kissed one another and parted.This meeting at Lubetch fixed succession to lands east of the Dnieper by giving what the father had held to the sons of Sviatoslav. But west of that river were, as we shall find, fruitful causes of trouble. In Polotsk was Vseslav, the restless wizard, unrecognized as yet, and dissatisfied. In Volynia was David, son of Igor; next to him were the sons of Rostislav, who had some land which David looked on as a part of Volynia. Vassilko, Prince of Terebovl,[38]was renowned for his activity and enterprise. He had led Polovtsi into Poland and was planning new exploits. Warriors from various tribes were coming even then to serve under him. David, perfidious and grasping, but no warrior, was in ceaseless dread of Vassilko. Before the council at Lubetch was ended, Turijak, Vassili, and Lazar, three men of David’s escort, had persuaded their master that Monomach and Vassilko had formed a plan and were ready for action against him. Vassilko, they said, was to take Volynia, David’s land, while Monomach would seize Kief from Sviatopolk. This tale threatened David with loss of rule, and death or exile. He knew well what wandering and seeking for power meant, so on the way back to Kief he explained this tale to Sviatopolk, and added: “Unless we seize Vassilko at once, thou wilt not stay in Kief, nor I in Volynia.” Since Sviatopolk was doubtful as to the truth of this statement, David developed his reasons for making it: “He killed thy brother Yaropolk, and is now plotting against both of us; he is at one with Monomach.”Sviatopolk was willing to have the deed done, but wished to make David entirely responsible for it. “If thou art speaking the truth,” said he, “God Himself will be witness on thy side. If untruth, He will judge thee.”When Vassilko reached Kief he was invited by Sviatopolk to the feast of his name’s day, but he excused himself, saying that his men had gone ahead and he must overtake them. On hearing this, David sent word to Vassilko as follows: “Offend not thy elder brother, remain for the feast.” Vassilko refused even this request. David turned then to Sviatopolk, with these words: “Here in thy capital he dares to disregard thee. What will the man do in his own land? He will take Pinsk and other towns, thou wilt think of my words then. Send men, seize Vassilko, and give him to me; I will care for him.”Sviatopolk yielded and sent an invitation to Vassilko to visit him at his home: “If thou wilt not stay for my festival,” said he, “visit me this morning, and sit awhile with David and me.”Vassilko consented and was on the way when a servant who met him gave warning: “Go not, O prince,” said he; “they will seize thee.” “God’s will be done,” replied Vassilko and making the sign of the cross, he rode on. Upon his arrival Sviatopolk came to the door of his palace, and greeted him with great[39]cordiality and kindness. Then David appeared, and Vassilko was invited to breakfast with his two kinsmen. Presently Sviatopolk withdrew, as if to give orders, and upon some pretext David followed him. The next moment men rushed into the room, seized Vassilko and put him in double fetters.Sviatopolk now sought the advice of Kief boyars and the clergy. The boyars answered evasively; the clergy took the side of Vassilko, and begged the Kief prince to free him. Sviatopolk seemed to waver. “This is all David’s work,” declared he, “I have no part in it.” David interfered at once, saying: “If thou set him free, we shall not remain princes.” “He is in thy care then,” replied Sviatopolk, and Vassilko was given up to David, who straightway had his eyes put out.Monomach wept when he heard of the tragedy. “Never before,” cried he, “has such a deed as this been done in the midst of us.” And at once he sent to Sviatoslav’s sons, Oleg and David, for aid in chastising the criminal. They came promptly, with forces to help him. The three princes then sent this query to Sviatopolk:“Why commit such iniquity; why cast a knife between princes? Why put thy brother’s eyes out? If he had offended, why not accuse him before us, we would have punished him if guilty. But tell us now what his fault was, what did he do to thee?”“David told me,” replied Sviatopolk, “that Vassilko slew Yaropolk, my brother, that he was preparing to kill me, that Monomach would take Kief and Vassilko Volynia. I had to care for my own life. Besides, it was David, not I, who blinded Vassilko. David took him and on the way home put his eyes out.”“Thou canst not lay thy own sins on David. Not in his land, but in thine, was the deed done,” retorted the envoys, and they left him.Next day, when the three princes were marching on Sviatopolk, he prepared to flee from his capital, but Kief men interposed and sent his stepmother to Monomach. With her went Nikolai the metropolitan, to beg in the name of the city not to make war upon Sviatopolk. They presented such reasons that Monomach was moved, and he sent this injunction: “Since David alone did this deed, as thou sayest, do thou, Sviatopolk, move against David, and either seize the man captive, or drive him out of his province.” Sviatopolk declared himself ready to do this.[40]Vassilko was meanwhile imprisoned by David, who took every town that he could during the winter and set out the next spring before Easter to seize all the lands that remained to his captive. He was met on the boundary, however, by Volodar, who was ready for battle, hence David took refuge in Bugsk. Volodar moved on that place without waiting, and sent this question to David: “Why hast thou done so much evil, and wilt not repent of it? See what immense harm thou hast wrought already.”David laid the guilt upon Sviatopolk. “Was it I who did the deed?” asked he. “Was it done in my capital? I feared to be treated as was thy brother. I was not free; I was at their mercy.” “God knows which man of you is guilty,” said Volodar. “Give me my brother and I will make peace with thee.” David was glad to be free of Vassilko, so peace was declared, and they parted. That peace, however, was not lasting, for David would not yield the towns which he had taken after blinding Vassilko, hence the two brothers attacked him at Vsevolod. But David escaped, shut himself in at Vladimir, and waited.Vsevolod was stormed and burned down. As the people fled from the blazing city, Vassilko commanded Volodar to kill them. Thus he avenged his own wrongs upon innocent people.Next the two brothers hastened to Vladimir. “We have come,” declared they to the citizens, “not against you, but to find Turijak, Vassili, and Lazar, those men who lied foully to David. Through listening to them he has done dreadful evil; yield those three up to us. If ye protect them, we must attack you.” The citizens counseled together and declared then to David: “Yield these three men; for thee we are ready to battle, but not for them.” “They are not here,” replied David. He had sent those attendants to Lutsk to save them. The people forced him to bring back Vassili and Lazar; Turijak had fled to Kief and thus saved himself. Peace was made, and next morning Vassili and Lazar were hanged on two gibbets, in front of Vladimir.Sviatopolk had promised to march against David and expel him, but all this time he was idle; he set out only after a year, and then he moved not directly, but to Brest on the boundary, where he made a Polish alliance. He feared to attack single-handed and acted only when David was beaten by Volodar and Vassilko; even then he wished the Poles to assist him. He also made[41]an alliance with Volodar and Vassilko, and kissed the cross to them.David, too, went to Brest to get Polish aid, and gave fifty gold grievens2to King Vladislav Herman as a present. “Help me!” implored David. “Sviatopolk is in Brest,” said the king, “I will reconcile thee with him.” Vladislav, however, soon discovered by experience that the friendship of Sviatopolk brought a greater return to him than did friendship with David. The Kief prince made richer gifts, and to Vladislav’s son he gave his daughter in marriage. In view of these facts, the king informed David that he had failed in discussions with Sviatopolk. “Go home,” said he; “I will send aid if thy cousin attacks thee.”David went home and waited a long time. Sviatopolk laid siege to Vladimir. David held out, hoping for Polish assistance, which came not. At last he yielded, and the two princes made peace. David marched out, and Sviatopolk, when he had entered Vladimir in triumph, began to think of Volodar and Vassilko. “They are on lands which belonged to my father,” said he, and he marched against the two brothers, forgetting that he had kissed the cross to them recently. He found it most difficult, however, to deal with those princes. When he advanced to invade their lands, Volodar and Vassilko met him promptly on the boundary. Before the battle, which followed immediately, Vassilko held up the cross which Sviatopolk had kissed, and cried out to him: “See what thou didst kiss to prove thy good faith to me. Thou hast robbed me of eyesight, and now thou art trying to kill me. Let this holy cross be between us.”The ensuing battle was savage. Sviatopolk was forced from the field and withdrew to Vladimir, where he put his son, Mystislav, in charge, and sent another son, Yaroslav, to Hungary to find aid against Volodar and Vassilko, he himself going to Kief in the meantime.At Yaroslav’s call, the Hungarian king, Koloman, came with an army and two bishops and laid siege at once to Peremysl, where Volodar had fixed himself. David came back from Poland, where he had begged aid without finding it. Their common danger at this time brought him and his victim together, and, leaving his wife in Volodar’s care, he set out to find Polovtsi allies. He met Bonyak, the famous Polovtsi Khan, who returned with him, bringing[42]a strong force of warriors. They attacked and drove out the Hungarians, and punished them severely. Yaroslav, son of Sviatopolk, who had brought the Hungarians to Russia, fled now to the Poles, and David, making use of his victory with promptness, marched on Vladimir when he was not expected, seized the suburbs and laid siege to the fortress without delay.Mystislav, placed in command, as we have seen, by Sviatopolk, his father, defended the city successfully till misfortune befell him. He was standing one day on the wall behind a wooden curtain when an arrow flew in through a crevice and killed him. His death was concealed from the people for three days. When they learned of it, they said straightway: “If we surrender now, Sviatopolk will destroy us.” So the chief men sent to Kief, saying: “Thy son is slain, we are dying of hunger. If thou come not, the people will yield to the enemy.”Sviatopolk sent his voevoda, Putyata, with forces which halted at Lutsk, where Sviatoslav, son of David of Chernigoff, had warriors. At this juncture envoys from David, son of Rurik, who was besieging Vladimir, had audience with Sviatoslav, who had just sworn friendship to them. But when Putyata appeared, this same Sviatoslav was frightened. He seized David’s envoys, and went himself with his warriors to help Putyata, instead of helping David. These two allies arrived before Vladimir one midday, and attacked David. The Vladimir men, seeing this from the walls of the city, made a sally and David was badly defeated. He fled and Putyata and his ally marched into Vladimir, where they established one Vassili as lieutenant of Sviatopolk. After that the allies departed for Lutsk, and Putyata went to Kief.Meanwhile David fled quickly toward the steppe land to find Polovtsi. Again he met Bonyak, who returned with him, and they captured Lutsk and Vladimir, which David now occupied. Then he sent his nephew, Mystislav, to the mouth of the Dnieper to seize merchants, and thus force the Grand Prince to sue for peace as he had done formerly—Sviatopolk, by nature weak and vacillating, had shown that he was not the man to punish David, who was stronger now than he had ever been before.In 1100 a new meeting of princes was arranged to assemble at Vititchevo. At this meeting the following decision was made known to David: “We will not let thee have Vladimir, because[43]thou hast cast a knife wickedly between us. We do not exclude thee, or punish thee further. Thou canst take Bugsk with Ostrog. Sviatopolk gives thee Dubno and Chartorisk, also Dorogobuj. In addition, Monomach gives thee two hundred grievens, Oleg and David two hundred more.”To Volodar the princes sent the following message: “Take thy brother, Vassilko, and possess Peremysl. If thou wilt not keep thy brother, let him come to us, we will support him.”Volodar and Vassilko would not comply with this, and each remained in the place which belonged to him. When the princes wished to constrain the two brothers, Monomach would not consent to it; he insisted on the Lubetch agreement.The two meetings, the first at Lubetch, the second at Vititchevo, ended that struggle which had raged half a century. The strong princes became stronger, the izgoi (orphans) and their descendants were excluded. Volodar and Vassilko were the only izgoi who retained a province. The descendants of Vyacheslav, son of Yaroslav, lost their places in the first generation; those of Igor, his brother, in the second. Later on they reappear as petty princes of small places without independent significance. With full and equal rights appear only the descendants of the three elder sons of Yaroslav, Izyaslav, Sviatoslav and Vsevolod. Of these, the sons of Sviatoslav saved themselves only after a bitter and bloody struggle, thanks also to the moderation of Monomach, and his son Mystislav.The division of land between the descendants of these three sons of Yaroslav the Lawgiver was unequal. Monomach, through his superior personality and favoring fortune, received a much larger portion than his brothers. He received Pereyaslavl, Novgorod, Smolensk and Rostoff. Sviatopolk received Volynia, but Novgorod, connected always so closely with Kief, did not fall to him. The sons of Sviatoslav, Oleg and his brothers, received nothing beyond the land which their father had held.Sviatopolk was greatly dissatisfied that Novgorod did not remain with his house. As he could not take it from Monomach without compensation, he gave Volynia in return for it. But when Mystislav, Monomach’s son, was recalled to give place to a son of Sviatopolk, the men of Novgorod revolted, and sent envoys to Kief with this message: “Novgorod wishes neither Sviatopolk[44]nor his descendants. If Sviatopolk’s son has two heads, let him come to us.” Sviatopolk had to live without Novgorod.Monomach, now free to act against steppe tribes, urged Sviatopolk to help him. “Let us join our forces,” said he, “and march in the spring against these enemies.” Sviatopolk turned to his warriors for counsel. They were unwilling to move, and answered that war during spring months took men from their labor. “Let us meet in some place, and consult with the warriors,” was Sviatopolk’s answer to Monomach. They met at Dolobsk, above Kief, on the bank of the Dnieper. “Begin, brother, thou art the elder,” said Monomach; “tell what we are to do in our Russia.” “Begin thou, that is better,” answered Sviatopolk. “How am I to speak,” replied Monomach, “thy warriors will oppose, and say that I wish to ruin earth-tillers and their labor, though I wonder why they are so tender of earth-tillers, forgetting how Polovtsi come in the spring-time, strike down each man in his furrow, take his wife, take his children, seize his horse, and burn his granary.” “True,” said the warriors. “Thou art right, they do much evil.” “I am ready to go!” exclaimed Sviatopolk. And he rose and proclaimed the expedition. “Thou hast done a great deed, O my brother,” said Monomach.The two princes sent at once to the sons of Sviatoslav, saying: “Let us march against the Polovtsi, we shall either fall in the struggle, or survive it.” David promised aid, but Oleg would not go. His health was too frail, he said. Four other princes joined willingly in making war on the steppe foes of Russia.The Polovtsi learned what was coming, and met in council. Some were in favor of buying peace, but the younger men called loudly for war, and their side won the mastery.A force was sent out to reconnoitre. The princes met this force, cut down every man in it, advanced on the main army quickly and struck it. A fierce struggle followed. Twenty Polovtsi chiefs were killed, and a Khan named Beldug was captured. Beldug, when brought to Sviatopolk, offered much ransom for his life in gold, silver, cattle, horses and camels. Sviatopolk sent him to Monomach for judgment. “How often hast thou sworn not to war with us,” said Monomach to the Khan, “but still thou attack. Why not teach thy sons what an oath is? How much Christian blood hast thou shed? But now thy own blood be on[45]thee, not on our heads.” With that, he gave a sign to his men, and Beldug was cut to pieces.Immense booty was taken, and the princes went home rejoicing, and with great glory. The terrible Bonyak was alive yet, however, and made his power felt very keenly.In 1106 Sviatopolk sent three voevodas against Polovtsi, whom they defeated, and from whom they recovered much booty. In 1107, near Pereyaslavl, Bonyak seized large herds of horses. Somewhat later he appeared with other Khans and encamped at the Sula River near Lubni. Sviatopolk, Monomach, and Oleg, with four other princes, discovered his camping-ground, and, stealing up to it, made an attack with great outcry. The Polovtsi had no time to defend themselves. Those who could seized their beasts, mounted and fled; those who could not mount rushed off on foot, if they were able. The princes pursued them to the river Horol, slaying all whom they could reach with their sabres.Despite these successes, Oleg and David in that same year held a meeting with two Khans, whose daughters they took as wives for two of their sons.In 1110 an expedition undertaken by Sviatopolk, Monomach and David came to naught, but in 1111 they set out on the second Monday in Lent, and on Friday before Passion Week they met the Polovtsi in large force beyond the Don River, and crushed them. It was not till the following Monday, however, that they found the main host of the enemy. When the two armies met, there was a roar like thunder, as the chronicler describes it, and the battle was merciless. Both sides were equal and balanced each other till David and Monomach, with two regiments, rushed furiously at the enemy’s center and pierced it. At this the Russians dashed forward with renewed strength, broke the Polovtsi and, cutting and slashing, pursued them to the steppes.This was the greatest victory won up to that time over Polovtsi. The profit of the exploit was enormous, and the fame of it extended through Europe. It went both to Rome and to Tsargrad. Though all the princes helped Monomach, they could not of themselves have conceived such a feat or have accomplished it, hence to him the chief glory was due, and was given. For him and for the whole land and people there was great benefit in conquering the Polovtsi. For him, because those tribes were ever ready to[46]harass and plunder, and doubly ready to help any prince in his projects.To landless princes, or those who had quarrels, the Polovtsi were ready aids, but they were the terror of all who tilled land or lived by labor. To a great chief like Monomach they were enemies nearly always, for principally through them civil war and disorder were possible. A prince without land or position might find among Polovtsi at all times men ready to go with him and take their reward in plundering the country and enslaving as many people as they could lay hands on.It was difficult in those days to be a Grand Prince ruling wisely and with justice. Such a man had to get the throne of Kief first, and then hold it; he had to satisfy, or eliminate, the unreasoning and unruly; he had to crush or terrorize the Polovtsi; he had, by victory, a show of power, or a daring front, to ward off his western neighbors. When these deeds were all accomplished he might begin to work for wealth and order. We can understand easily the desire of Monomach to crush the Polovtsi, and his joy at having tamed them, at least for a season.In 1113 Sviatopolk died, and Monomach succeeded him, but he took the highest office only after a hesitation which we may believe to have been shown to make men express themselves with the utmost emphasis. Sviatoslav was older than Monomach’s father, but Sviatoslav, though he had been prince in Kief, was prince by expelling Izyaslav unjustly, and, though Sviatoslav had ceased to live before Izyaslav was reinstated, and therefore died in office, he might be considered as not having been in Kief at any time; his sons in this event could have no real claim. In every case the people would receive no man except Monomach, and he became Grand Prince by acclamation.Though the sons of Sviatoslav made no demands in public, they cherished plans in secret, as was shown somewhat later, and very clearly. But trouble came immediately from other princes. Glaib of Minsk, a son of Vseslav, that swift moving wizard, so well known to us, ravaged lands in Monomach’s possessions, and when asked to cease made sharp reproaches. Because of this, the Grand Prince, in 1116, marched against Minsk with his sons, and others. The young princes seized various towns, and Monomach resolved to capture Minsk at every hazard, hence[47]he fixed his camp before it, and had a house built in haste, for headquarters. When Glaib saw this house, he begged for peace straightway, and it was granted him. Somewhat later he rebelled again, and in 1120 was brought to Kief, where he died that same season.The next scene of trouble was Volynia. Sviatopolk, the last Grand Prince, had cherished good feeling toward Monomach, and had caused Yaroslav, his son, to marry the daughter of Mystislav of Novgorod, son of Monomach. Sometime later, however, Monomach laid siege to Vladimir, Yaroslav’s capital. After fighting two months, that prince asked for peace, and Monomach granted it on condition that Yaroslav would come to him whenever summoned. The attack on Yaroslav had been made because, in connection with Boleslav of Poland, who had married his sister, he was acting in Galitch against Volodar and Vassilko. Monomach had remonstrated without effect, and then moved on Yaroslav, with the result we have just seen. Before going on this expedition, the Grand Prince had recalled Mystislav from Novgorod, and installed him in Bailgorod, so that in case of need he might have that son near him. Yaroslav, who, because his father had been Grand Prince, wished to succeed Monomach, saw in this transfer a step toward taking the succession from him and giving it to Mystislav, hence his enforced obedience was short-lived, and he ended it by driving away his wife, a granddaughter of Monomach. In punishment for this act Monomach moved a second time against him.To think of war with Vladimir Monomach, Yaroslav must have counted on large forces, and have had firm faith in receiving assistance from allies. But just then his own boyars deserted him, and he was obliged to flee to Hungary, and later on to Poland.Monomach then seated in Volynia Roman, his own son, and when this son died, Andrei, his brother. In 1120 Andrei moved against the Poles with Polovtsi forces. In the following year Yaroslav set out to attack Cherven in Galitch with Polish forces, but Monomach had the border towns well strengthened and in Cherven was Ratiborovitch, his voevoda, who drove back Yaroslav, entirely baffled.Most dangerous to the Poles was Volodar, who had as allies tribes in Pomoria and in Prussia on the Baltic. These tribes were[48]hostile to the Poles. The question now was to stop Volodar. At the court of Boleslav there lived Peter Vlast, a Dane of many adventures, who advised the king not to meet Prince Volodar in battle, but to kidnap him, and promised, if permission were given, to accomplish the deed himself.The king was pleased, and Vlast, who had gained much renown through marvelous exploits, set out with thirty men to win the confidence of Volodar and capture him. He appeared before the prince and, feigning himself an exile in deadly enmity with Boleslav, quickly won Volodar’s good-will and confidence. Some weeks later the prince took Vlast to a hunt in a great forest where, adroitly separated from his own people, Volodar was seized by Vlast’s men, who bore him beyond the boundary and never drew rein till they delivered him safely to Boleslav. The king was triumphant.Vassilko the Blind gave all the money that he and his brother possessed to free Volodar; besides this, those two sons of Rostislav swore to act with the Poles against every enemy.In 1123 Yaroslav, son of Sviatopolk, appeared at Vladimir with immense forces,—Cheks, Poles and Hungarians, bringing also as allies Volodar and Vassilko. Monomach’s son, Andrei, who was prince there, defended the city. Monomach sent forward Mystislav, and also hurried men from Kief, but before Mystislav could arrive the siege was well ended.Early one Sunday morning Yaroslav rode toward the walls with two attendants, and shouted to Andrei and the citizens: “This city is mine! Open ye the gates and come out to me with homage. If not I will storm the place to-morrow and take it.”While he was thus riding in front of the city and boasting, two Poles, employed, as is said, by Andrei, slipped out and hid near the wayside. When the prince was retiring from the walls, they sprang up and sent a spear through his body. He reached camp, barely living, and died a few hours later.Stephen II, King of Hungary, thought to continue the siege, but the chiefs of his army were opposed to shedding blood without profit. In view of this, the allies of Yaroslav, the late prince, made peace with the Kief prince and retired each to his own land. Through Yaroslav’s death Sviatopolk’s descendants lost the Kief succession. Four years later his younger sons, Izyaslav[49]and Bryache, died, so that Volynia and Turoff went to Monomach’s descendants.Monomach’s strength with the people swept all men and obstacles before it. Yaroslav, with a foreign army, failed in Volynia, because the people and the boyars would not uphold him, but stood firm for Monomach. Monomach saw the danger of Russia’s falling into a chaos of insignificant and independent principalities, therefore he strove to increase the authority of the Grand Prince, and to restrict the succession to his own descendants, with the provision that if the younger brothers died before the eldest, who was Prince of Kief, their sons were to be excluded forever from the succession.New persons now and dramatic scenes pass before us swiftly. Vladimir Monomach, always spoken of in Russia as Monomach, died in 1125, and with him departed the prosperity of ancient Russia. He had come to the throne with thirty years of experience in statescraft. He had been the right hand of his father, and without him Sviatopolk could not have ruled at all. He was a man who worked always for what he thought to be the good of his country. Like his grandfather, he was a founder of cities and a lawgiver. There is an interesting paper still extant which he compiled for the guidance of his sons, some clauses of which I will quote: “It is neither fasting nor solitude nor monastic life that will procure you life eternal—it is well doing. Forget not the poor, but nourish them. Bury not your riches in the earth, for that is contrary to the teachings of Christianity.3Be a father to orphans; judge the cause of widows yourself. Put to death no human being, be he innocent or guilty, for there is nothing more sacred than the soul of a Christian. Love your wives, but beware lest they obtain power over you. When you have learned something useful, strive to retain it in your memory, and work unceasingly for knowledge.”Monomach had eight sons, named here in the order of their ages: Mystislav the Great, who succeeded his father; Izyaslav, killed before Murom in battling against Oleg of Chernigoff; Sviatoslav, given once as a hostage to Kitan and then stolen away in the night at Pereyaslavl on the Alta; Roman, famous in nothing, married the sister of the renowned Vladimirko of Galitch; Yaropolk,[50]who reigned in Kief after Mystislav, and died without issue; Vyacheslav, “of scant mind and simple,” who raised Monomach’s ensign over the Polovtsi contingent at Koloksha, and thus routed Oleg; Yuri, named later on Dolgoruki, or Long-Handed (Grasping); and Andrei, who died rather early.The two sons of Vladimir Monomach renowned in history are Mystislav the Great, and Yuri, surnamed Dolgoruki. From the first comes the elder, from the second the younger line of Monomach’s descendants. Mystislav became the ancestor of the Western Russian princes, those of Galitch (Galicia), Smolensk and Volynia. Yuri, through the founding of Moscow and the results flowing from it, became the father of that northern line of princes so famous in history. The descendants of these two brothers were often at enmity, and it was their rivalry which later on ruined Kief.Mystislav succeeded his father in 1125 without opposition. Oleg of Chernigoff had died during Monomach’s reign, so had David, his brother. Only Yaroslav, the youngest brother, now remained. He, not greatly considered in his family, was expelled from Chernigoff by Vsevolod, his nephew, and founded in Ryazan a new principality.Mystislav’s reign was distinguished for three things. First he brought to order those Polovtsi who would live in peace near the boundary, and crushed or expelled the others; then he seized all lands of the Polotsk princes, the descendants of Rognyeda, that unwilling wife of Vladimir (Saint Vladimir of the Orthodox Church). We have seen how those Polotsk princes, when excluded from the Kief succession, harried Smolensk and raided Novgorod, bringing ceaseless trouble and never-ending bloodshed. Later on both Pinsk and Turoff had been taken from them. This intensified resistance, and, as they would abate no claim whatever, Mystislav resolved at last to end the trouble. He captured all those princes and, putting them on a vessel, sent them to Tsargrad, where the Emperor, his friend, detained the captives. Some died; the survivors, or most of them, escaped in later days, and ruled again in parts of Polotsk, but soon were lost to fame, unless the tradition be true that Gedimin and his sons, who seized Western Russia during Mongol dominion and joined it with Poland through marriage, were descended from those Polotsk princes who returned[51]from Tsargrad. A third event in Mystislav’s reign was the founding of Ryazan, which happened in this way.Oleg of Chernigoff, who died during Monomach’s reign, was succeeded by his youngest brother, Yaroslav. Of Oleg’s sons the second, Vsevolod, later on the Kief prince, was a man who in early life had planned a great career very carefully. He had married the eldest daughter of Mystislav the Great, and had thus become connected with Monomach’s descendants. When Mystislav succeeded Monomach, his father, in Kief, Vsevolod drove his uncle from the throne of Chernigoff, and seated himself there. Vsevolod was unceremonious with Yaroslav because the man was not strong, and because he himself wanted Kief when the time came to get it. To possess Kief, he must first win, or get Chernigoff, hence must drive out his uncle.Yaroslav turned for assistance to Mystislav, who was willing to reinstate him by force even, if need be. It was the proper policy of Kief to act thus, and be the arbiter in Russia. But times had changed much, and Kief men were no longer willing to fight for helpless princes. Yaroslav, unable to fight his battles alone, and forced to withdraw from Chernigoff, settled in Ryazan, where he founded a new line of princes.Mystislav reigned seven years and died in 1132. He was succeeded by Yaropolk, his brother, who, himself without issue, swore to provide in all fairness for Mystislav’s children. He strove to do this without offending any one, but was unable, as there were not places enough for the two lines of landless princes. The first step he took was to summon from Novgorod Vsevolod, son of the late Mystislav, and give him Pereyaslavl on the Alta. Thereupon Yuri Dolgoruki marched with astonishing swiftness from Suzdal to the Alta, fell upon Vsevolod and expelled him. His reason for this act was that for three reigns Pereyaslavl had been, as it were, the stepping-stone to Kief, the capital and first place, the transfer being made from Pereyaslavl. Dolgoruki, as uncle to Vsevolod, was his senior, and would not permit him to settle in Pereyaslavl and thus obtain the succession.The sons of Mystislav rose up now against their uncles, and, to gain force sufficient to war with them, made a league with their cousins, David of Chernigoff and Oleg, his brother. Yaropolk, Mystislav’s brother, and brother of Yuri, moved against Chernigoff.[52]Mystislav’s sons helped the Chernigoff princes, and when these sons attacked their uncle, Dolgoruki, Vsevolod, son of the late Oleg the endless quarreler, went to help them. Meanwhile the condition of Kief was almost repeated in Novgorod.When the late Prince of Kief, Mystislav the Great, was recalled from Novgorod by Monomach, his father, his brother Vsevolod was sent to replace him. During Vsevolod’s day the dignity of prince was lowered notably in Novgorod. In earlier times the posadnik had been an aid to the prince,—an assistant; he was now his associate, and at times even his superior. Vsevolod was disliked in Novgorod because, as the men there declared, he had left it for another place, that is, Pereyaslavl on the Alta. He had fought against his uncle Dolgoruki, and had fled from him. They said, too, that he cared only for falcons and hunting; that he sided with the rich, and with boyars; that he looked with contempt on poor people, and on small folk. To these words they added a deed never witnessed till that day in Novgorod. They seized Vsevolod, locked him up in a tower and set a watch around it. They sought then for a prince who might please them. Some, unwilling to offend Dolgoruki, their dangerous neighbor, thought to choose Rostislav, his son, as their ruler, but others, who were greater in number, prevailed and turned to Chernigoff. Vsevolod, son of Oleg, sent his brother, Sviatoslav, but Novgorod was no better pleased with the new than with the late prince.Pskoff, up to this time dependent on Novgorod, resolved now to break its bonds. Vsevolod, freed from the Novgorod tower and expelled from the city, went to Pskoff and was received joyfully. Novgorod sent Sviatoslav, its new prince, with warriors to subdue the Pskoff men, but Sviatoslav, finding the task both impossible and useless, led his men back to Novgorod. The city, enraged at this failure, turned out the new prince, and sent him home to Chernigoff.Thus disorder was rife in all places, and only after much time and great effort was Yaropolk, the Grand Prince, able to satisfy his nephews, without, at the same time, enraging his brothers. When all were in a deadlock of dissension and wearied of fighting, he gave them lands in the following order: Izyaslav, eldest son of Mystislav, received for his sons the Polotsk principality, or the greater part of it, and for himself Volynia and its adjuncts. His[53]brother, Rostislav, received Smolensk, which, increased by additions from Polotsk and Volynia, became a great principality. Vsevolod, son of Mystislav, connected with Pskoff till his death, left no posterity. Vladimir and Sviatopolk, also sons of Mystislav, received nothing and led a landless existence. Yaropolk’s brothers, that is, the other surviving sons of Monomach, were settled thuswise: Yuri Dolgoruki retained his northern land in entirety. He obtained also Gorodok on the Oseter, a place which he prized because of its connection with Kief and with Southern Russia. Pereyaslavl was given to Andrei, the youngest brother. Having settled questions as best he was able Yaropolk had little left for himself save the capital.It is to be remembered that besides the few leading princes, who gave away or received immense regions, there was now a horde of small princes, all related to one another and to the great ones. These it was necessary to satisfy, some with a single town, others with more, as the case might be. There was not land enough to satisfy all, however, for sons of the ruling princes were increasing in number. There were also princes who, dying before they had received places, left orphans. These orphans needed sustenance; they were of princely blood and, what was of more importance, made trouble when discontented, if they had power to do so. This great band of land-seekers turned to the Kief prince, who was for them in the place of a father. Yaropolk, while trying to settle princes of this kind, was forced to set aside towns to support them till he could find permanent places. Thus Kief was soon reduced to narrow limits.At first the lands of the mother city covered all Southern Russia. On the southwest and the south they touched the Carpathians and the Danube; on the west they reached the headwaters of every river flowing toward the Euxine and included some rivers flowing into the Baltic. They extended toward the Volga and the Caspian till they reached the territory occupied by the wild tribes of the Polovtsi. But now, by gifts to the dissatisfied and the demanding, Yaropolk left little to the city. In later reigns there was nothing left, and in that final day a Kief prince was no longer the highest power in Russia; he was scarcely more than a guardian of the capital.It was not the might of Kief which, in his day, gave Yaropolk[54]influence, but his native worth, and his character, which recalled that of Monomach, his father. Lofty qualities gave him strength against Vsevolod, the keen, cunning, shifty son of Oleg. Vsevolod had not seized Chernigoff from his uncle to sit there in quietness; he aimed at Kief, through which alone power was at that time obtainable, and power was the lodestar of his existence.During Mystislav’s reign Vsevolod had made no move whatever, and, while Yaropolk was settling with his brothers and nephews, he took no part with the dissatisfied, but when Yaropolk had decided every question, the crafty Vsevolod joined hands with Igor and Sviatoslav, his cousins, sons of David, and attacked Yaropolk on both sides of the Dnieper. Fire and sword swept through those lands on the Ros and the Sula, and west of the Dnieper a great war began in which all men of weapons took part with eagerness. After several preliminary battles troops hurried in from many places,—brothers and nephews came to help Yaropolk. From Volynia, Polotsk, Smolensk, Rostoff, Turoff and Suzdal did they come. Yaropolk himself led the regiments of Kief and the Black Caps, called also “Cherkassi” (Circassians).At sight of these overwhelming forces Vsevolod lost all hope of victory. He prepared to abandon Chernigoff and flee to the Polovtsi, but he was stopped by the bishop at the head of the people. “Halt,” said the bishop; “leave thy pride, and beg for peace. Yaropolk is kind and generous; he will grant it.” Vsevolod listened to this advice, and sent envoys to Yaropolk, who received the men graciously, gave presents in return for those brought by them, forgave Vsevolod, and made peace.Yaropolk’s advisers were enraged at this peace. They desired the destruction of Vsevolod, and wished to avenge their comrades who had fallen in recent battles, but Yaropolk was firm; he dismissed his forces and returned to Kief, where he ruled for a season, and then died, after years of sore trial and effort.Yaropolk was succeeded in 1150 by his brother, Vyacheslav, a prince “poor in wit, and simple,” as the chronicler assures us, but in fact a person original and most interesting,—one of “God’s fools” in the language of myth tales. Vsevolod’s chance appeared now, and he seized it greedily. He promised Chernigoff to his cousins, Monomach’s descendants, and then pledged to his brothers all the possessions of those same descendants of Monomach,[55]thus promising to men what was not their own, but their neighbors’. He fell upon Kief, fired the suburbs, and sent this message to Vyacheslav: “Go in peace out of Kief.” “Not of myself did I come to Kief,” replied Vyacheslav; “I came, commanded by my ancestors and in succession to my brother. If thou, abandoning thine own, hast come to take what belongs to thy senior, I will offer no resistance; I become thy junior.” And he went out of Kief, thus making his withdrawal a reproach and a shame to Vsevolod.That prince, however, cared no whit for reproach and shame; he wanted power. To him all else, be it right or wrong, was as nothing. Hence he entered Kief in pomp and great circumstance. An immense feast was placed before the people, and to the monasteries and churches rich presents were given. Highly gifted with the art of pleasing, and lavish of money and flattery, Vsevolod won the multitude quickly.This seizure and holding of sovereignty by a man in a junior and excluded line was a real exploit. How did Vsevolod accomplish it; and, once having Kief, how did he hold it? Why did Monomach’s descendants let Oleg’s son take possession of the city, which was theirs by inheritance, and thus lose that which distinguished them from all other princes?The position of Monomach’s descendants was peculiar at this juncture. It was involved beyond measure. Though the strongest group of men in Russia, they had no leader. The oldest of Monomach’s three surviving sons, Vyacheslav the Simple, was incompetent in action; the second, Yuri Dolgoruki, was competent, but not ready at that time. He was little known in southern regions, and, so far as known, was unpopular. Andrei, the youngest brother, was popular, but could not be the leader.The man best fitted to be Grand Prince was Izyaslav, then ruling in Volynia. He was the eldest son of Mystislav the Great, who was the eldest son of Monomach. But Izyaslav was barred from action by his three living uncles, the younger brothers of his father. He could not win Kief without them, and they would neither yield to him, nor help him.The house of Monomach was thus divided. Vsevolod saw clearly that, thanks to this division, he could seize the capital, and hold it. Hence he hastened to win over Izyaslav with the following[56]message: “At thy father’s death, Kief should have been thine, but thy uncles would not suffer thee to take it; they expelled thee and thy brothers from every place, and had I not assisted, ye would to-day have no land in Russia. I want Kief. Thou and thy brothers will be as my own blood to me. Ye will get the choicest places, and at my death Kief will fall to thee, Izyaslav, but thou and they must not help thy uncles to oppose me.”These words pleased Izyaslav; he and Vsevolod made a pact and kissed the cross to keep it. Owing to this pact, Vsevolod appeared in Kief with slender forces and found few men opposing, though Kief might have resisted very easily. Once in power, Vsevolod became expectant; he waited to see what would happen.The Monomach party, both uncles and nephews, met promptly for counsel. Izyaslav went to Smolensk to confer with Rostislav, to whom Dolgoruki went also. Rostislav could not act with both nephews and uncles. To Dolgoruki he had been respectful at all times, and now Dolgoruki’s talks with him were successful. Vsevolod learned of this, and was ready for action immediately. He made proposals to Izyaslav, whom he invited to Kief. Izyaslav would not go; he had lost all faith in Vsevolod; he would have nothing further to do with him.Izyaslav and his friends now began preparations for an attack on the usurper.Vsevolod resolved to forestall his enemies; to meet each separately, take his land and give it to his brothers as he had promised. Against Vyacheslav, whom he had driven out of Kief, and Izyaslav, his cousin, he sent Izyaslav, son of David, with Vladimirko and Rostislav, the Galitch princes, grandsons of Rostislav. Vsevolod himself marched against Andrei, son of Monomach, in Pereyaslavl, taking with him his own brother Sviatoslav, for whom he intended this city. While on the road he sent Andrei a message containing the sentence: “Go thou to Kursk!” “I will die rather than leave my inheritance,” retorted Andrei. “My father ruled here, not in Kursk. If there is not sufficient land for thee elsewhere in Russia, and thou must have this place, slay me and take it. While I live, I will not leave what belongs to me.”Vsevolod did not in person attack Andrei’s forces, but sent Sviatoslav, his brother, who was defeated. Next day they made peace. The terms, as we know them, left Andrei in his capital[57]while he agreed to join in no war upon Vsevolod, and to recognize him as Grand Prince. The prince returned to Kief then, defeated, but still with some part of a victory.The attack on Volynia was a failure, but Vladimirko of Galitch and the Poles, his allies, succeeded in a degree. They captured towns, but they could not expel Izyaslav or his uncle. There, as in other places outside of Chernigoff, the people favored Monomach’s line, though neither Yuri of Suzdal nor Rostislav of Smolensk had given aid to them. The reason aid did not come was that Novgorod would not help Izyaslav, and had driven out Yuri’s son Rostislav. Yuri returned then to Suzdal and seized Torjok to punish Novgorod by stopping supplies.While Yuri was acting thus, Rostislav of Smolensk dared not move against Vsevolod. Peace was concluded because of this balance of forces. Izyaslav got Volynia, and Vsevolod was acknowledged as Grand Prince.Division among opponents gave Vsevolod the headship. Had they been united he could not have taken Kief, or, if he had taken that city, he could not have retained it. Even now his hold, though efficient, was exceedingly slender and delicate, for among his adherents, that is, his cousins and his brothers, there was endless dissension and wrangling.[58]

In 1093 Vsevolod died at the age of sixty-four. His successor was Sviatopolk, son of Izyaslav, a weak and worthless man. Then came trouble and turmoil. “Those were days,” an old song says, “when strife was sown, when it grew as grain in the field grows, when men’s lives were shortened by princes’ struggles, when the cry of the earth-tiller was heard only rarely, but often the scream of the crows wrangling over corpses.” Monomach, the bravest and ablest of all the descendants of Yaroslav, might have taken the Kief throne had he wished, since the Kief people begged him to do so, but he feared civil war and refused, saying: “Sviatopolk’s father was older than my father; he reigned first in Kief.”

Sviatopolk, greedy and cruel, showed his character quickly. Envoys from the Polovtsi came to sell peace to him. He cast them into prison. When the Polovtsi heard of this insult they made war with the utmost vigor.

Sviatopolk then freed the envoys and asked for peace, but could not get it. He began at once to prepare for war on a small scale, but at last took advice and asked aid of Monomach, who came, bringing with him his brother. The three princes with their combined forces attacked the Polovtsi, though Monomach urged peace, since the enemy outnumbered them notably. The Russians were beaten in a savage encounter and Rostislav, Monomach’s brother, was drowned while crossing a river; Monomach himself had a narrow escape when struggling to save him. Elated with triumph, the Polovtsi hastened toward Kief, ravaging all before them. Sviatopolk, who had taken refuge in the capital, summoned fresh warriors and went out to meet the enemy a second time, but was again defeated and fled back to Kief with but two attendants.[34]

As Sviatopolk now wished greatly for peace, he gave what the Polovtsi asked, and took the Khan’s daughter in marriage.

Oleg, son of Sviatoslav of Chernigoff, one of the most resolute and active men of the eleventh century, came also with peace to sell, leading in a new army of Polovtsi. The crushing defeats which his cousins had suffered prepared the way for him. He laid siege to Chernigoff, harried the surrounding country and burned churches and villages. For eight days his Polovtsi worked at the stronghold, then Monomach sent a message to Oleg declaring that to stop bloodshed and ruin he would march from the city. Peace was made on that basis, and Oleg became master of Chernigoff.

Pereyaslavl was now Monomach’s capital, and continued to be so during a time of sore trial and waiting. Pereyaslavl was the place which the Polovtsi struck first of all, when marching against Russia. Monomach lived three years in this exposed capital, where he suffered through lack of means and from ceaseless attacks of the Polovtsi. In 1095 two Khans, Itlar and Kitan, came to Pereyaslavl to sell peace, that is to take treasure for a promise of peace, and then break the promise.

Itlar went with his men to the stronghold to pass the night there and was lodged at the house of Ratibor, a distinguished boyar.

Kitan remained between the outer wall and the second one, and Monomach gave Sviatoslav, his son, to Kitan as hostage for the safety of Itlar.

A man by the name of Slavata, who had come that day on some mission from Sviatopolk in Kief, persuaded Ratibor to get consent from Monomach to kill those Polovtsi. “How could I permit such a deed?” demanded Monomach; “I have given my oath to Itlar:” “The Polovtsi give oaths to thee, and then slay and ruin us on all sides. That they will do this time also.” Monomach yielded after much persuasion, and that night men were sent out who stole away Sviatoslav and then killed Kitan with his attendants. Itlar, at Ratibor’s house, knew nothing of what had happened. Next morning Ratibor’s men climbed to the top of the house in which Itlar was lodging, opened the roof and killed the Polovtsi warriors with arrows. Sviatopolk and Monomach moved at once to the steppe against the Polovtsi and sent to Oleg for aid in the struggle. Oleg went, but held aloof through[35]suspicion. The two princes were successful. The Polovtsi, taken unawares, were badly defeated. The princes seized men, cattle, horses and camels, and returned home with rich booty.

Oleg’s conduct had angered Sviatopolk and Monomach seriously. “Thou art unwilling to join us against the vile enemy,” said they. “In thy house Itlar’s son is now living; give him to us, or else kill him.” Oleg would not yield to his cousins. Soon after they sent this message: “Come to Kief and take counsel, so that we may defend Russia together.” “I will not let priests and common men judge me,” replied Oleg. This answer enraged Kief people, and Sviatopolk and Monomach declared war against Oleg without another question. “Thou wilt not help us to crush pagans,” said they, “or meet us in council. Thou art plotting to strengthen the enemy. Let God judge between us.”1

The two princes now marched on Chernigoff. Oleg fled thence to Starodub and shut himself in there. The princes laid siege to the place, and during thirty-three days they made vigorous onsets, but the defense was most resolute. At last the besieged were exhausted, and Oleg was obliged to beg for peace. “Go to David, thy brother,” replied the princes, “and come with him to Kief. Kief is the mother city. In Kief ruled our ancestors. Let us meet there and settle all questions.” Oleg kissed the cross in assent and set out for Smolensk to find David, but upon arriving at that city the people would not allow him to enter, so he turned and went back toward Ryazan.

Since Oleg and David did not come to Kief to make peace and take counsel, the two princes marched on Smolensk. David now made peace with them, on what terms is unknown to us, while Oleg, with his own men and some warriors sent him by David in secret, advanced against Murom to expel Izyaslav, son of Monomach. Izyaslav, having a numerous force, went out to meet Oleg. “Go to Rostoff, which belonged to thy father,” said Izyaslav, “but leave my father’s portion.” “I wish to be here,” replied Oleg. Izyaslav now gave battle. A fierce struggle followed, and Izyaslav fell in the fight before the walls of Murom. The town then received Oleg, who hurried on straightway to Suzdal, which also surrendered. Of the citizens some he held captive while others were sent to various places in his own land,[36]but he seized all of their property. He appeared next in front of Rostoff, which surrendered at once, and he appointed men to collect taxes there.

Oleg held now all lands connected with Murom. At this juncture there came to him an envoy from Mystislav, prince in Novgorod, with this message: “Leave Suzdal and Murom. Take not another man’s province. I will make peace between thee and my father, even though thou hast slain Izyaslav, my brother.”

Oleg would not listen. After such a victory he had no desire for peace. He planned to take Novgorod, he had even sent forward his brother, Yaroslav, and was going to assist him. Mystislav sent men, who seized Oleg’s tax-gatherers. In view of this, Yaroslav warned Oleg to guard himself carefully, that forces were advancing from Novgorod. Oleg turned back to Rostoff, but Mystislav followed him. He then left Rostoff for Suzdal; his enemy hurried straight after him. Oleg burned Suzdal and fled to Murom. Mystislav reached Suzdal and halted. From Suzdal he sent an envoy again to make peace, if possible.

Oleg, doubtful of victory through force, now sought it through strategy. He sent back words of seeming friendliness, and was watchful.

Mystislav, thinking peace near, quartered most of his warriors at some distance in villages. While eating at midday, news was brought in that the enemy was advancing rapidly. Oleg had thought that a sudden feint would put his nephew to flight, but Mystislav held his ground firmly. He quickly called together all his men, and when Oleg was drawing near Suzdal, an army was ready for action in front of him. For four days were the two princes facing each other; neither one saw his way to begin the hard trial. Meanwhile Monomach was hurrying on reinforcements to Mystislav. These were Polovtsi commanded by another son, Vyacheslav. On the fifth day Oleg moved against Suzdal, and Mystislav, having placed the Polovtsi in ambush to attack at the critical moment, marched out to meet him.

The battle began, and Mystislav with his Novgorod men was bearing down heavily on the enemy, when the Polovtsi, with Monomach’s banner above them, suddenly rushed at the flank of Oleg’s army. Panic fell on the warriors at sight of that banner;[37]they thought that Monomach was attacking in person, and they fled from the field in disorder.

Oleg escaped to Murom, where he left his brother, Yaroslav, and then marched with all speed to Ryazan. Mystislav hastened toMurom, made peace with the people and freed the men seized by Oleg some time earlier, then he pursued Oleg farther. Oleg, learning that Mystislav was approaching, left Ryazan. Mystislav came to terms with the people of Ryazan, as he had with those of Murom. He now sent a second letter to Oleg, urging him to make peace with his cousins. Oleg made a favorable promise, and Mystislav wrote to Monomach on behalf of Oleg, who was his godfather. Because of this letter Monomach, anxious to put an end to the dispute between the princes, sent a mild, but firm message to Oleg. The result was a meeting of the princes in 1097 at Lubetch, a place east of the Dnieper on the land of Chernigoff.

Seated on the same carpet, they agreed that in order to put an end to civil war, each prince, or group of princes, should receive the land held by his, or their father. Hence Sviatopolk received Kief with Turoff; to Vladimir went all that Vsevolod, his father, had held,—Smolensk with Rostoff and its settlements. Novgorod fell to Mystislav, who had conquered Oleg; Sviatoslav’s sons, Oleg, David, and Yaroslav, received the lands of Chernigoff. There now remained the izgoi, or orphans, the excluded princes: David, son of Igor, with Vassilko and Volodar, sons of Rostislav. To David was given Volynia, or all that was left of it after the paring of land from that province. Peremysl fell to Volodar, and Terebovl to Vassilko.

When everything was thus amicably settled, the princes kissed the cross, and declared that if any one of them should raise hands on another all the rest would oppose that man, and the holy cross be against him. After that they kissed one another and parted.

This meeting at Lubetch fixed succession to lands east of the Dnieper by giving what the father had held to the sons of Sviatoslav. But west of that river were, as we shall find, fruitful causes of trouble. In Polotsk was Vseslav, the restless wizard, unrecognized as yet, and dissatisfied. In Volynia was David, son of Igor; next to him were the sons of Rostislav, who had some land which David looked on as a part of Volynia. Vassilko, Prince of Terebovl,[38]was renowned for his activity and enterprise. He had led Polovtsi into Poland and was planning new exploits. Warriors from various tribes were coming even then to serve under him. David, perfidious and grasping, but no warrior, was in ceaseless dread of Vassilko. Before the council at Lubetch was ended, Turijak, Vassili, and Lazar, three men of David’s escort, had persuaded their master that Monomach and Vassilko had formed a plan and were ready for action against him. Vassilko, they said, was to take Volynia, David’s land, while Monomach would seize Kief from Sviatopolk. This tale threatened David with loss of rule, and death or exile. He knew well what wandering and seeking for power meant, so on the way back to Kief he explained this tale to Sviatopolk, and added: “Unless we seize Vassilko at once, thou wilt not stay in Kief, nor I in Volynia.” Since Sviatopolk was doubtful as to the truth of this statement, David developed his reasons for making it: “He killed thy brother Yaropolk, and is now plotting against both of us; he is at one with Monomach.”

Sviatopolk was willing to have the deed done, but wished to make David entirely responsible for it. “If thou art speaking the truth,” said he, “God Himself will be witness on thy side. If untruth, He will judge thee.”

When Vassilko reached Kief he was invited by Sviatopolk to the feast of his name’s day, but he excused himself, saying that his men had gone ahead and he must overtake them. On hearing this, David sent word to Vassilko as follows: “Offend not thy elder brother, remain for the feast.” Vassilko refused even this request. David turned then to Sviatopolk, with these words: “Here in thy capital he dares to disregard thee. What will the man do in his own land? He will take Pinsk and other towns, thou wilt think of my words then. Send men, seize Vassilko, and give him to me; I will care for him.”

Sviatopolk yielded and sent an invitation to Vassilko to visit him at his home: “If thou wilt not stay for my festival,” said he, “visit me this morning, and sit awhile with David and me.”

Vassilko consented and was on the way when a servant who met him gave warning: “Go not, O prince,” said he; “they will seize thee.” “God’s will be done,” replied Vassilko and making the sign of the cross, he rode on. Upon his arrival Sviatopolk came to the door of his palace, and greeted him with great[39]cordiality and kindness. Then David appeared, and Vassilko was invited to breakfast with his two kinsmen. Presently Sviatopolk withdrew, as if to give orders, and upon some pretext David followed him. The next moment men rushed into the room, seized Vassilko and put him in double fetters.

Sviatopolk now sought the advice of Kief boyars and the clergy. The boyars answered evasively; the clergy took the side of Vassilko, and begged the Kief prince to free him. Sviatopolk seemed to waver. “This is all David’s work,” declared he, “I have no part in it.” David interfered at once, saying: “If thou set him free, we shall not remain princes.” “He is in thy care then,” replied Sviatopolk, and Vassilko was given up to David, who straightway had his eyes put out.

Monomach wept when he heard of the tragedy. “Never before,” cried he, “has such a deed as this been done in the midst of us.” And at once he sent to Sviatoslav’s sons, Oleg and David, for aid in chastising the criminal. They came promptly, with forces to help him. The three princes then sent this query to Sviatopolk:“Why commit such iniquity; why cast a knife between princes? Why put thy brother’s eyes out? If he had offended, why not accuse him before us, we would have punished him if guilty. But tell us now what his fault was, what did he do to thee?”

“David told me,” replied Sviatopolk, “that Vassilko slew Yaropolk, my brother, that he was preparing to kill me, that Monomach would take Kief and Vassilko Volynia. I had to care for my own life. Besides, it was David, not I, who blinded Vassilko. David took him and on the way home put his eyes out.”

“Thou canst not lay thy own sins on David. Not in his land, but in thine, was the deed done,” retorted the envoys, and they left him.

Next day, when the three princes were marching on Sviatopolk, he prepared to flee from his capital, but Kief men interposed and sent his stepmother to Monomach. With her went Nikolai the metropolitan, to beg in the name of the city not to make war upon Sviatopolk. They presented such reasons that Monomach was moved, and he sent this injunction: “Since David alone did this deed, as thou sayest, do thou, Sviatopolk, move against David, and either seize the man captive, or drive him out of his province.” Sviatopolk declared himself ready to do this.[40]

Vassilko was meanwhile imprisoned by David, who took every town that he could during the winter and set out the next spring before Easter to seize all the lands that remained to his captive. He was met on the boundary, however, by Volodar, who was ready for battle, hence David took refuge in Bugsk. Volodar moved on that place without waiting, and sent this question to David: “Why hast thou done so much evil, and wilt not repent of it? See what immense harm thou hast wrought already.”

David laid the guilt upon Sviatopolk. “Was it I who did the deed?” asked he. “Was it done in my capital? I feared to be treated as was thy brother. I was not free; I was at their mercy.” “God knows which man of you is guilty,” said Volodar. “Give me my brother and I will make peace with thee.” David was glad to be free of Vassilko, so peace was declared, and they parted. That peace, however, was not lasting, for David would not yield the towns which he had taken after blinding Vassilko, hence the two brothers attacked him at Vsevolod. But David escaped, shut himself in at Vladimir, and waited.

Vsevolod was stormed and burned down. As the people fled from the blazing city, Vassilko commanded Volodar to kill them. Thus he avenged his own wrongs upon innocent people.

Next the two brothers hastened to Vladimir. “We have come,” declared they to the citizens, “not against you, but to find Turijak, Vassili, and Lazar, those men who lied foully to David. Through listening to them he has done dreadful evil; yield those three up to us. If ye protect them, we must attack you.” The citizens counseled together and declared then to David: “Yield these three men; for thee we are ready to battle, but not for them.” “They are not here,” replied David. He had sent those attendants to Lutsk to save them. The people forced him to bring back Vassili and Lazar; Turijak had fled to Kief and thus saved himself. Peace was made, and next morning Vassili and Lazar were hanged on two gibbets, in front of Vladimir.

Sviatopolk had promised to march against David and expel him, but all this time he was idle; he set out only after a year, and then he moved not directly, but to Brest on the boundary, where he made a Polish alliance. He feared to attack single-handed and acted only when David was beaten by Volodar and Vassilko; even then he wished the Poles to assist him. He also made[41]an alliance with Volodar and Vassilko, and kissed the cross to them.

David, too, went to Brest to get Polish aid, and gave fifty gold grievens2to King Vladislav Herman as a present. “Help me!” implored David. “Sviatopolk is in Brest,” said the king, “I will reconcile thee with him.” Vladislav, however, soon discovered by experience that the friendship of Sviatopolk brought a greater return to him than did friendship with David. The Kief prince made richer gifts, and to Vladislav’s son he gave his daughter in marriage. In view of these facts, the king informed David that he had failed in discussions with Sviatopolk. “Go home,” said he; “I will send aid if thy cousin attacks thee.”

David went home and waited a long time. Sviatopolk laid siege to Vladimir. David held out, hoping for Polish assistance, which came not. At last he yielded, and the two princes made peace. David marched out, and Sviatopolk, when he had entered Vladimir in triumph, began to think of Volodar and Vassilko. “They are on lands which belonged to my father,” said he, and he marched against the two brothers, forgetting that he had kissed the cross to them recently. He found it most difficult, however, to deal with those princes. When he advanced to invade their lands, Volodar and Vassilko met him promptly on the boundary. Before the battle, which followed immediately, Vassilko held up the cross which Sviatopolk had kissed, and cried out to him: “See what thou didst kiss to prove thy good faith to me. Thou hast robbed me of eyesight, and now thou art trying to kill me. Let this holy cross be between us.”

The ensuing battle was savage. Sviatopolk was forced from the field and withdrew to Vladimir, where he put his son, Mystislav, in charge, and sent another son, Yaroslav, to Hungary to find aid against Volodar and Vassilko, he himself going to Kief in the meantime.

At Yaroslav’s call, the Hungarian king, Koloman, came with an army and two bishops and laid siege at once to Peremysl, where Volodar had fixed himself. David came back from Poland, where he had begged aid without finding it. Their common danger at this time brought him and his victim together, and, leaving his wife in Volodar’s care, he set out to find Polovtsi allies. He met Bonyak, the famous Polovtsi Khan, who returned with him, bringing[42]a strong force of warriors. They attacked and drove out the Hungarians, and punished them severely. Yaroslav, son of Sviatopolk, who had brought the Hungarians to Russia, fled now to the Poles, and David, making use of his victory with promptness, marched on Vladimir when he was not expected, seized the suburbs and laid siege to the fortress without delay.

Mystislav, placed in command, as we have seen, by Sviatopolk, his father, defended the city successfully till misfortune befell him. He was standing one day on the wall behind a wooden curtain when an arrow flew in through a crevice and killed him. His death was concealed from the people for three days. When they learned of it, they said straightway: “If we surrender now, Sviatopolk will destroy us.” So the chief men sent to Kief, saying: “Thy son is slain, we are dying of hunger. If thou come not, the people will yield to the enemy.”

Sviatopolk sent his voevoda, Putyata, with forces which halted at Lutsk, where Sviatoslav, son of David of Chernigoff, had warriors. At this juncture envoys from David, son of Rurik, who was besieging Vladimir, had audience with Sviatoslav, who had just sworn friendship to them. But when Putyata appeared, this same Sviatoslav was frightened. He seized David’s envoys, and went himself with his warriors to help Putyata, instead of helping David. These two allies arrived before Vladimir one midday, and attacked David. The Vladimir men, seeing this from the walls of the city, made a sally and David was badly defeated. He fled and Putyata and his ally marched into Vladimir, where they established one Vassili as lieutenant of Sviatopolk. After that the allies departed for Lutsk, and Putyata went to Kief.

Meanwhile David fled quickly toward the steppe land to find Polovtsi. Again he met Bonyak, who returned with him, and they captured Lutsk and Vladimir, which David now occupied. Then he sent his nephew, Mystislav, to the mouth of the Dnieper to seize merchants, and thus force the Grand Prince to sue for peace as he had done formerly—Sviatopolk, by nature weak and vacillating, had shown that he was not the man to punish David, who was stronger now than he had ever been before.

In 1100 a new meeting of princes was arranged to assemble at Vititchevo. At this meeting the following decision was made known to David: “We will not let thee have Vladimir, because[43]thou hast cast a knife wickedly between us. We do not exclude thee, or punish thee further. Thou canst take Bugsk with Ostrog. Sviatopolk gives thee Dubno and Chartorisk, also Dorogobuj. In addition, Monomach gives thee two hundred grievens, Oleg and David two hundred more.”

To Volodar the princes sent the following message: “Take thy brother, Vassilko, and possess Peremysl. If thou wilt not keep thy brother, let him come to us, we will support him.”

Volodar and Vassilko would not comply with this, and each remained in the place which belonged to him. When the princes wished to constrain the two brothers, Monomach would not consent to it; he insisted on the Lubetch agreement.

The two meetings, the first at Lubetch, the second at Vititchevo, ended that struggle which had raged half a century. The strong princes became stronger, the izgoi (orphans) and their descendants were excluded. Volodar and Vassilko were the only izgoi who retained a province. The descendants of Vyacheslav, son of Yaroslav, lost their places in the first generation; those of Igor, his brother, in the second. Later on they reappear as petty princes of small places without independent significance. With full and equal rights appear only the descendants of the three elder sons of Yaroslav, Izyaslav, Sviatoslav and Vsevolod. Of these, the sons of Sviatoslav saved themselves only after a bitter and bloody struggle, thanks also to the moderation of Monomach, and his son Mystislav.

The division of land between the descendants of these three sons of Yaroslav the Lawgiver was unequal. Monomach, through his superior personality and favoring fortune, received a much larger portion than his brothers. He received Pereyaslavl, Novgorod, Smolensk and Rostoff. Sviatopolk received Volynia, but Novgorod, connected always so closely with Kief, did not fall to him. The sons of Sviatoslav, Oleg and his brothers, received nothing beyond the land which their father had held.

Sviatopolk was greatly dissatisfied that Novgorod did not remain with his house. As he could not take it from Monomach without compensation, he gave Volynia in return for it. But when Mystislav, Monomach’s son, was recalled to give place to a son of Sviatopolk, the men of Novgorod revolted, and sent envoys to Kief with this message: “Novgorod wishes neither Sviatopolk[44]nor his descendants. If Sviatopolk’s son has two heads, let him come to us.” Sviatopolk had to live without Novgorod.

Monomach, now free to act against steppe tribes, urged Sviatopolk to help him. “Let us join our forces,” said he, “and march in the spring against these enemies.” Sviatopolk turned to his warriors for counsel. They were unwilling to move, and answered that war during spring months took men from their labor. “Let us meet in some place, and consult with the warriors,” was Sviatopolk’s answer to Monomach. They met at Dolobsk, above Kief, on the bank of the Dnieper. “Begin, brother, thou art the elder,” said Monomach; “tell what we are to do in our Russia.” “Begin thou, that is better,” answered Sviatopolk. “How am I to speak,” replied Monomach, “thy warriors will oppose, and say that I wish to ruin earth-tillers and their labor, though I wonder why they are so tender of earth-tillers, forgetting how Polovtsi come in the spring-time, strike down each man in his furrow, take his wife, take his children, seize his horse, and burn his granary.” “True,” said the warriors. “Thou art right, they do much evil.” “I am ready to go!” exclaimed Sviatopolk. And he rose and proclaimed the expedition. “Thou hast done a great deed, O my brother,” said Monomach.

The two princes sent at once to the sons of Sviatoslav, saying: “Let us march against the Polovtsi, we shall either fall in the struggle, or survive it.” David promised aid, but Oleg would not go. His health was too frail, he said. Four other princes joined willingly in making war on the steppe foes of Russia.

The Polovtsi learned what was coming, and met in council. Some were in favor of buying peace, but the younger men called loudly for war, and their side won the mastery.

A force was sent out to reconnoitre. The princes met this force, cut down every man in it, advanced on the main army quickly and struck it. A fierce struggle followed. Twenty Polovtsi chiefs were killed, and a Khan named Beldug was captured. Beldug, when brought to Sviatopolk, offered much ransom for his life in gold, silver, cattle, horses and camels. Sviatopolk sent him to Monomach for judgment. “How often hast thou sworn not to war with us,” said Monomach to the Khan, “but still thou attack. Why not teach thy sons what an oath is? How much Christian blood hast thou shed? But now thy own blood be on[45]thee, not on our heads.” With that, he gave a sign to his men, and Beldug was cut to pieces.

Immense booty was taken, and the princes went home rejoicing, and with great glory. The terrible Bonyak was alive yet, however, and made his power felt very keenly.

In 1106 Sviatopolk sent three voevodas against Polovtsi, whom they defeated, and from whom they recovered much booty. In 1107, near Pereyaslavl, Bonyak seized large herds of horses. Somewhat later he appeared with other Khans and encamped at the Sula River near Lubni. Sviatopolk, Monomach, and Oleg, with four other princes, discovered his camping-ground, and, stealing up to it, made an attack with great outcry. The Polovtsi had no time to defend themselves. Those who could seized their beasts, mounted and fled; those who could not mount rushed off on foot, if they were able. The princes pursued them to the river Horol, slaying all whom they could reach with their sabres.

Despite these successes, Oleg and David in that same year held a meeting with two Khans, whose daughters they took as wives for two of their sons.

In 1110 an expedition undertaken by Sviatopolk, Monomach and David came to naught, but in 1111 they set out on the second Monday in Lent, and on Friday before Passion Week they met the Polovtsi in large force beyond the Don River, and crushed them. It was not till the following Monday, however, that they found the main host of the enemy. When the two armies met, there was a roar like thunder, as the chronicler describes it, and the battle was merciless. Both sides were equal and balanced each other till David and Monomach, with two regiments, rushed furiously at the enemy’s center and pierced it. At this the Russians dashed forward with renewed strength, broke the Polovtsi and, cutting and slashing, pursued them to the steppes.

This was the greatest victory won up to that time over Polovtsi. The profit of the exploit was enormous, and the fame of it extended through Europe. It went both to Rome and to Tsargrad. Though all the princes helped Monomach, they could not of themselves have conceived such a feat or have accomplished it, hence to him the chief glory was due, and was given. For him and for the whole land and people there was great benefit in conquering the Polovtsi. For him, because those tribes were ever ready to[46]harass and plunder, and doubly ready to help any prince in his projects.

To landless princes, or those who had quarrels, the Polovtsi were ready aids, but they were the terror of all who tilled land or lived by labor. To a great chief like Monomach they were enemies nearly always, for principally through them civil war and disorder were possible. A prince without land or position might find among Polovtsi at all times men ready to go with him and take their reward in plundering the country and enslaving as many people as they could lay hands on.

It was difficult in those days to be a Grand Prince ruling wisely and with justice. Such a man had to get the throne of Kief first, and then hold it; he had to satisfy, or eliminate, the unreasoning and unruly; he had to crush or terrorize the Polovtsi; he had, by victory, a show of power, or a daring front, to ward off his western neighbors. When these deeds were all accomplished he might begin to work for wealth and order. We can understand easily the desire of Monomach to crush the Polovtsi, and his joy at having tamed them, at least for a season.

In 1113 Sviatopolk died, and Monomach succeeded him, but he took the highest office only after a hesitation which we may believe to have been shown to make men express themselves with the utmost emphasis. Sviatoslav was older than Monomach’s father, but Sviatoslav, though he had been prince in Kief, was prince by expelling Izyaslav unjustly, and, though Sviatoslav had ceased to live before Izyaslav was reinstated, and therefore died in office, he might be considered as not having been in Kief at any time; his sons in this event could have no real claim. In every case the people would receive no man except Monomach, and he became Grand Prince by acclamation.

Though the sons of Sviatoslav made no demands in public, they cherished plans in secret, as was shown somewhat later, and very clearly. But trouble came immediately from other princes. Glaib of Minsk, a son of Vseslav, that swift moving wizard, so well known to us, ravaged lands in Monomach’s possessions, and when asked to cease made sharp reproaches. Because of this, the Grand Prince, in 1116, marched against Minsk with his sons, and others. The young princes seized various towns, and Monomach resolved to capture Minsk at every hazard, hence[47]he fixed his camp before it, and had a house built in haste, for headquarters. When Glaib saw this house, he begged for peace straightway, and it was granted him. Somewhat later he rebelled again, and in 1120 was brought to Kief, where he died that same season.

The next scene of trouble was Volynia. Sviatopolk, the last Grand Prince, had cherished good feeling toward Monomach, and had caused Yaroslav, his son, to marry the daughter of Mystislav of Novgorod, son of Monomach. Sometime later, however, Monomach laid siege to Vladimir, Yaroslav’s capital. After fighting two months, that prince asked for peace, and Monomach granted it on condition that Yaroslav would come to him whenever summoned. The attack on Yaroslav had been made because, in connection with Boleslav of Poland, who had married his sister, he was acting in Galitch against Volodar and Vassilko. Monomach had remonstrated without effect, and then moved on Yaroslav, with the result we have just seen. Before going on this expedition, the Grand Prince had recalled Mystislav from Novgorod, and installed him in Bailgorod, so that in case of need he might have that son near him. Yaroslav, who, because his father had been Grand Prince, wished to succeed Monomach, saw in this transfer a step toward taking the succession from him and giving it to Mystislav, hence his enforced obedience was short-lived, and he ended it by driving away his wife, a granddaughter of Monomach. In punishment for this act Monomach moved a second time against him.

To think of war with Vladimir Monomach, Yaroslav must have counted on large forces, and have had firm faith in receiving assistance from allies. But just then his own boyars deserted him, and he was obliged to flee to Hungary, and later on to Poland.

Monomach then seated in Volynia Roman, his own son, and when this son died, Andrei, his brother. In 1120 Andrei moved against the Poles with Polovtsi forces. In the following year Yaroslav set out to attack Cherven in Galitch with Polish forces, but Monomach had the border towns well strengthened and in Cherven was Ratiborovitch, his voevoda, who drove back Yaroslav, entirely baffled.

Most dangerous to the Poles was Volodar, who had as allies tribes in Pomoria and in Prussia on the Baltic. These tribes were[48]hostile to the Poles. The question now was to stop Volodar. At the court of Boleslav there lived Peter Vlast, a Dane of many adventures, who advised the king not to meet Prince Volodar in battle, but to kidnap him, and promised, if permission were given, to accomplish the deed himself.

The king was pleased, and Vlast, who had gained much renown through marvelous exploits, set out with thirty men to win the confidence of Volodar and capture him. He appeared before the prince and, feigning himself an exile in deadly enmity with Boleslav, quickly won Volodar’s good-will and confidence. Some weeks later the prince took Vlast to a hunt in a great forest where, adroitly separated from his own people, Volodar was seized by Vlast’s men, who bore him beyond the boundary and never drew rein till they delivered him safely to Boleslav. The king was triumphant.

Vassilko the Blind gave all the money that he and his brother possessed to free Volodar; besides this, those two sons of Rostislav swore to act with the Poles against every enemy.

In 1123 Yaroslav, son of Sviatopolk, appeared at Vladimir with immense forces,—Cheks, Poles and Hungarians, bringing also as allies Volodar and Vassilko. Monomach’s son, Andrei, who was prince there, defended the city. Monomach sent forward Mystislav, and also hurried men from Kief, but before Mystislav could arrive the siege was well ended.

Early one Sunday morning Yaroslav rode toward the walls with two attendants, and shouted to Andrei and the citizens: “This city is mine! Open ye the gates and come out to me with homage. If not I will storm the place to-morrow and take it.”

While he was thus riding in front of the city and boasting, two Poles, employed, as is said, by Andrei, slipped out and hid near the wayside. When the prince was retiring from the walls, they sprang up and sent a spear through his body. He reached camp, barely living, and died a few hours later.

Stephen II, King of Hungary, thought to continue the siege, but the chiefs of his army were opposed to shedding blood without profit. In view of this, the allies of Yaroslav, the late prince, made peace with the Kief prince and retired each to his own land. Through Yaroslav’s death Sviatopolk’s descendants lost the Kief succession. Four years later his younger sons, Izyaslav[49]and Bryache, died, so that Volynia and Turoff went to Monomach’s descendants.

Monomach’s strength with the people swept all men and obstacles before it. Yaroslav, with a foreign army, failed in Volynia, because the people and the boyars would not uphold him, but stood firm for Monomach. Monomach saw the danger of Russia’s falling into a chaos of insignificant and independent principalities, therefore he strove to increase the authority of the Grand Prince, and to restrict the succession to his own descendants, with the provision that if the younger brothers died before the eldest, who was Prince of Kief, their sons were to be excluded forever from the succession.

New persons now and dramatic scenes pass before us swiftly. Vladimir Monomach, always spoken of in Russia as Monomach, died in 1125, and with him departed the prosperity of ancient Russia. He had come to the throne with thirty years of experience in statescraft. He had been the right hand of his father, and without him Sviatopolk could not have ruled at all. He was a man who worked always for what he thought to be the good of his country. Like his grandfather, he was a founder of cities and a lawgiver. There is an interesting paper still extant which he compiled for the guidance of his sons, some clauses of which I will quote: “It is neither fasting nor solitude nor monastic life that will procure you life eternal—it is well doing. Forget not the poor, but nourish them. Bury not your riches in the earth, for that is contrary to the teachings of Christianity.3Be a father to orphans; judge the cause of widows yourself. Put to death no human being, be he innocent or guilty, for there is nothing more sacred than the soul of a Christian. Love your wives, but beware lest they obtain power over you. When you have learned something useful, strive to retain it in your memory, and work unceasingly for knowledge.”

Monomach had eight sons, named here in the order of their ages: Mystislav the Great, who succeeded his father; Izyaslav, killed before Murom in battling against Oleg of Chernigoff; Sviatoslav, given once as a hostage to Kitan and then stolen away in the night at Pereyaslavl on the Alta; Roman, famous in nothing, married the sister of the renowned Vladimirko of Galitch; Yaropolk,[50]who reigned in Kief after Mystislav, and died without issue; Vyacheslav, “of scant mind and simple,” who raised Monomach’s ensign over the Polovtsi contingent at Koloksha, and thus routed Oleg; Yuri, named later on Dolgoruki, or Long-Handed (Grasping); and Andrei, who died rather early.

The two sons of Vladimir Monomach renowned in history are Mystislav the Great, and Yuri, surnamed Dolgoruki. From the first comes the elder, from the second the younger line of Monomach’s descendants. Mystislav became the ancestor of the Western Russian princes, those of Galitch (Galicia), Smolensk and Volynia. Yuri, through the founding of Moscow and the results flowing from it, became the father of that northern line of princes so famous in history. The descendants of these two brothers were often at enmity, and it was their rivalry which later on ruined Kief.

Mystislav succeeded his father in 1125 without opposition. Oleg of Chernigoff had died during Monomach’s reign, so had David, his brother. Only Yaroslav, the youngest brother, now remained. He, not greatly considered in his family, was expelled from Chernigoff by Vsevolod, his nephew, and founded in Ryazan a new principality.

Mystislav’s reign was distinguished for three things. First he brought to order those Polovtsi who would live in peace near the boundary, and crushed or expelled the others; then he seized all lands of the Polotsk princes, the descendants of Rognyeda, that unwilling wife of Vladimir (Saint Vladimir of the Orthodox Church). We have seen how those Polotsk princes, when excluded from the Kief succession, harried Smolensk and raided Novgorod, bringing ceaseless trouble and never-ending bloodshed. Later on both Pinsk and Turoff had been taken from them. This intensified resistance, and, as they would abate no claim whatever, Mystislav resolved at last to end the trouble. He captured all those princes and, putting them on a vessel, sent them to Tsargrad, where the Emperor, his friend, detained the captives. Some died; the survivors, or most of them, escaped in later days, and ruled again in parts of Polotsk, but soon were lost to fame, unless the tradition be true that Gedimin and his sons, who seized Western Russia during Mongol dominion and joined it with Poland through marriage, were descended from those Polotsk princes who returned[51]from Tsargrad. A third event in Mystislav’s reign was the founding of Ryazan, which happened in this way.

Oleg of Chernigoff, who died during Monomach’s reign, was succeeded by his youngest brother, Yaroslav. Of Oleg’s sons the second, Vsevolod, later on the Kief prince, was a man who in early life had planned a great career very carefully. He had married the eldest daughter of Mystislav the Great, and had thus become connected with Monomach’s descendants. When Mystislav succeeded Monomach, his father, in Kief, Vsevolod drove his uncle from the throne of Chernigoff, and seated himself there. Vsevolod was unceremonious with Yaroslav because the man was not strong, and because he himself wanted Kief when the time came to get it. To possess Kief, he must first win, or get Chernigoff, hence must drive out his uncle.

Yaroslav turned for assistance to Mystislav, who was willing to reinstate him by force even, if need be. It was the proper policy of Kief to act thus, and be the arbiter in Russia. But times had changed much, and Kief men were no longer willing to fight for helpless princes. Yaroslav, unable to fight his battles alone, and forced to withdraw from Chernigoff, settled in Ryazan, where he founded a new line of princes.

Mystislav reigned seven years and died in 1132. He was succeeded by Yaropolk, his brother, who, himself without issue, swore to provide in all fairness for Mystislav’s children. He strove to do this without offending any one, but was unable, as there were not places enough for the two lines of landless princes. The first step he took was to summon from Novgorod Vsevolod, son of the late Mystislav, and give him Pereyaslavl on the Alta. Thereupon Yuri Dolgoruki marched with astonishing swiftness from Suzdal to the Alta, fell upon Vsevolod and expelled him. His reason for this act was that for three reigns Pereyaslavl had been, as it were, the stepping-stone to Kief, the capital and first place, the transfer being made from Pereyaslavl. Dolgoruki, as uncle to Vsevolod, was his senior, and would not permit him to settle in Pereyaslavl and thus obtain the succession.

The sons of Mystislav rose up now against their uncles, and, to gain force sufficient to war with them, made a league with their cousins, David of Chernigoff and Oleg, his brother. Yaropolk, Mystislav’s brother, and brother of Yuri, moved against Chernigoff.[52]Mystislav’s sons helped the Chernigoff princes, and when these sons attacked their uncle, Dolgoruki, Vsevolod, son of the late Oleg the endless quarreler, went to help them. Meanwhile the condition of Kief was almost repeated in Novgorod.

When the late Prince of Kief, Mystislav the Great, was recalled from Novgorod by Monomach, his father, his brother Vsevolod was sent to replace him. During Vsevolod’s day the dignity of prince was lowered notably in Novgorod. In earlier times the posadnik had been an aid to the prince,—an assistant; he was now his associate, and at times even his superior. Vsevolod was disliked in Novgorod because, as the men there declared, he had left it for another place, that is, Pereyaslavl on the Alta. He had fought against his uncle Dolgoruki, and had fled from him. They said, too, that he cared only for falcons and hunting; that he sided with the rich, and with boyars; that he looked with contempt on poor people, and on small folk. To these words they added a deed never witnessed till that day in Novgorod. They seized Vsevolod, locked him up in a tower and set a watch around it. They sought then for a prince who might please them. Some, unwilling to offend Dolgoruki, their dangerous neighbor, thought to choose Rostislav, his son, as their ruler, but others, who were greater in number, prevailed and turned to Chernigoff. Vsevolod, son of Oleg, sent his brother, Sviatoslav, but Novgorod was no better pleased with the new than with the late prince.

Pskoff, up to this time dependent on Novgorod, resolved now to break its bonds. Vsevolod, freed from the Novgorod tower and expelled from the city, went to Pskoff and was received joyfully. Novgorod sent Sviatoslav, its new prince, with warriors to subdue the Pskoff men, but Sviatoslav, finding the task both impossible and useless, led his men back to Novgorod. The city, enraged at this failure, turned out the new prince, and sent him home to Chernigoff.

Thus disorder was rife in all places, and only after much time and great effort was Yaropolk, the Grand Prince, able to satisfy his nephews, without, at the same time, enraging his brothers. When all were in a deadlock of dissension and wearied of fighting, he gave them lands in the following order: Izyaslav, eldest son of Mystislav, received for his sons the Polotsk principality, or the greater part of it, and for himself Volynia and its adjuncts. His[53]brother, Rostislav, received Smolensk, which, increased by additions from Polotsk and Volynia, became a great principality. Vsevolod, son of Mystislav, connected with Pskoff till his death, left no posterity. Vladimir and Sviatopolk, also sons of Mystislav, received nothing and led a landless existence. Yaropolk’s brothers, that is, the other surviving sons of Monomach, were settled thuswise: Yuri Dolgoruki retained his northern land in entirety. He obtained also Gorodok on the Oseter, a place which he prized because of its connection with Kief and with Southern Russia. Pereyaslavl was given to Andrei, the youngest brother. Having settled questions as best he was able Yaropolk had little left for himself save the capital.

It is to be remembered that besides the few leading princes, who gave away or received immense regions, there was now a horde of small princes, all related to one another and to the great ones. These it was necessary to satisfy, some with a single town, others with more, as the case might be. There was not land enough to satisfy all, however, for sons of the ruling princes were increasing in number. There were also princes who, dying before they had received places, left orphans. These orphans needed sustenance; they were of princely blood and, what was of more importance, made trouble when discontented, if they had power to do so. This great band of land-seekers turned to the Kief prince, who was for them in the place of a father. Yaropolk, while trying to settle princes of this kind, was forced to set aside towns to support them till he could find permanent places. Thus Kief was soon reduced to narrow limits.

At first the lands of the mother city covered all Southern Russia. On the southwest and the south they touched the Carpathians and the Danube; on the west they reached the headwaters of every river flowing toward the Euxine and included some rivers flowing into the Baltic. They extended toward the Volga and the Caspian till they reached the territory occupied by the wild tribes of the Polovtsi. But now, by gifts to the dissatisfied and the demanding, Yaropolk left little to the city. In later reigns there was nothing left, and in that final day a Kief prince was no longer the highest power in Russia; he was scarcely more than a guardian of the capital.

It was not the might of Kief which, in his day, gave Yaropolk[54]influence, but his native worth, and his character, which recalled that of Monomach, his father. Lofty qualities gave him strength against Vsevolod, the keen, cunning, shifty son of Oleg. Vsevolod had not seized Chernigoff from his uncle to sit there in quietness; he aimed at Kief, through which alone power was at that time obtainable, and power was the lodestar of his existence.

During Mystislav’s reign Vsevolod had made no move whatever, and, while Yaropolk was settling with his brothers and nephews, he took no part with the dissatisfied, but when Yaropolk had decided every question, the crafty Vsevolod joined hands with Igor and Sviatoslav, his cousins, sons of David, and attacked Yaropolk on both sides of the Dnieper. Fire and sword swept through those lands on the Ros and the Sula, and west of the Dnieper a great war began in which all men of weapons took part with eagerness. After several preliminary battles troops hurried in from many places,—brothers and nephews came to help Yaropolk. From Volynia, Polotsk, Smolensk, Rostoff, Turoff and Suzdal did they come. Yaropolk himself led the regiments of Kief and the Black Caps, called also “Cherkassi” (Circassians).

At sight of these overwhelming forces Vsevolod lost all hope of victory. He prepared to abandon Chernigoff and flee to the Polovtsi, but he was stopped by the bishop at the head of the people. “Halt,” said the bishop; “leave thy pride, and beg for peace. Yaropolk is kind and generous; he will grant it.” Vsevolod listened to this advice, and sent envoys to Yaropolk, who received the men graciously, gave presents in return for those brought by them, forgave Vsevolod, and made peace.

Yaropolk’s advisers were enraged at this peace. They desired the destruction of Vsevolod, and wished to avenge their comrades who had fallen in recent battles, but Yaropolk was firm; he dismissed his forces and returned to Kief, where he ruled for a season, and then died, after years of sore trial and effort.

Yaropolk was succeeded in 1150 by his brother, Vyacheslav, a prince “poor in wit, and simple,” as the chronicler assures us, but in fact a person original and most interesting,—one of “God’s fools” in the language of myth tales. Vsevolod’s chance appeared now, and he seized it greedily. He promised Chernigoff to his cousins, Monomach’s descendants, and then pledged to his brothers all the possessions of those same descendants of Monomach,[55]thus promising to men what was not their own, but their neighbors’. He fell upon Kief, fired the suburbs, and sent this message to Vyacheslav: “Go in peace out of Kief.” “Not of myself did I come to Kief,” replied Vyacheslav; “I came, commanded by my ancestors and in succession to my brother. If thou, abandoning thine own, hast come to take what belongs to thy senior, I will offer no resistance; I become thy junior.” And he went out of Kief, thus making his withdrawal a reproach and a shame to Vsevolod.

That prince, however, cared no whit for reproach and shame; he wanted power. To him all else, be it right or wrong, was as nothing. Hence he entered Kief in pomp and great circumstance. An immense feast was placed before the people, and to the monasteries and churches rich presents were given. Highly gifted with the art of pleasing, and lavish of money and flattery, Vsevolod won the multitude quickly.

This seizure and holding of sovereignty by a man in a junior and excluded line was a real exploit. How did Vsevolod accomplish it; and, once having Kief, how did he hold it? Why did Monomach’s descendants let Oleg’s son take possession of the city, which was theirs by inheritance, and thus lose that which distinguished them from all other princes?

The position of Monomach’s descendants was peculiar at this juncture. It was involved beyond measure. Though the strongest group of men in Russia, they had no leader. The oldest of Monomach’s three surviving sons, Vyacheslav the Simple, was incompetent in action; the second, Yuri Dolgoruki, was competent, but not ready at that time. He was little known in southern regions, and, so far as known, was unpopular. Andrei, the youngest brother, was popular, but could not be the leader.

The man best fitted to be Grand Prince was Izyaslav, then ruling in Volynia. He was the eldest son of Mystislav the Great, who was the eldest son of Monomach. But Izyaslav was barred from action by his three living uncles, the younger brothers of his father. He could not win Kief without them, and they would neither yield to him, nor help him.

The house of Monomach was thus divided. Vsevolod saw clearly that, thanks to this division, he could seize the capital, and hold it. Hence he hastened to win over Izyaslav with the following[56]message: “At thy father’s death, Kief should have been thine, but thy uncles would not suffer thee to take it; they expelled thee and thy brothers from every place, and had I not assisted, ye would to-day have no land in Russia. I want Kief. Thou and thy brothers will be as my own blood to me. Ye will get the choicest places, and at my death Kief will fall to thee, Izyaslav, but thou and they must not help thy uncles to oppose me.”

These words pleased Izyaslav; he and Vsevolod made a pact and kissed the cross to keep it. Owing to this pact, Vsevolod appeared in Kief with slender forces and found few men opposing, though Kief might have resisted very easily. Once in power, Vsevolod became expectant; he waited to see what would happen.

The Monomach party, both uncles and nephews, met promptly for counsel. Izyaslav went to Smolensk to confer with Rostislav, to whom Dolgoruki went also. Rostislav could not act with both nephews and uncles. To Dolgoruki he had been respectful at all times, and now Dolgoruki’s talks with him were successful. Vsevolod learned of this, and was ready for action immediately. He made proposals to Izyaslav, whom he invited to Kief. Izyaslav would not go; he had lost all faith in Vsevolod; he would have nothing further to do with him.

Izyaslav and his friends now began preparations for an attack on the usurper.

Vsevolod resolved to forestall his enemies; to meet each separately, take his land and give it to his brothers as he had promised. Against Vyacheslav, whom he had driven out of Kief, and Izyaslav, his cousin, he sent Izyaslav, son of David, with Vladimirko and Rostislav, the Galitch princes, grandsons of Rostislav. Vsevolod himself marched against Andrei, son of Monomach, in Pereyaslavl, taking with him his own brother Sviatoslav, for whom he intended this city. While on the road he sent Andrei a message containing the sentence: “Go thou to Kursk!” “I will die rather than leave my inheritance,” retorted Andrei. “My father ruled here, not in Kursk. If there is not sufficient land for thee elsewhere in Russia, and thou must have this place, slay me and take it. While I live, I will not leave what belongs to me.”

Vsevolod did not in person attack Andrei’s forces, but sent Sviatoslav, his brother, who was defeated. Next day they made peace. The terms, as we know them, left Andrei in his capital[57]while he agreed to join in no war upon Vsevolod, and to recognize him as Grand Prince. The prince returned to Kief then, defeated, but still with some part of a victory.

The attack on Volynia was a failure, but Vladimirko of Galitch and the Poles, his allies, succeeded in a degree. They captured towns, but they could not expel Izyaslav or his uncle. There, as in other places outside of Chernigoff, the people favored Monomach’s line, though neither Yuri of Suzdal nor Rostislav of Smolensk had given aid to them. The reason aid did not come was that Novgorod would not help Izyaslav, and had driven out Yuri’s son Rostislav. Yuri returned then to Suzdal and seized Torjok to punish Novgorod by stopping supplies.

While Yuri was acting thus, Rostislav of Smolensk dared not move against Vsevolod. Peace was concluded because of this balance of forces. Izyaslav got Volynia, and Vsevolod was acknowledged as Grand Prince.

Division among opponents gave Vsevolod the headship. Had they been united he could not have taken Kief, or, if he had taken that city, he could not have retained it. Even now his hold, though efficient, was exceedingly slender and delicate, for among his adherents, that is, his cousins and his brothers, there was endless dissension and wrangling.[58]

1This phrase is a declaration of war.↑2The value of the gold grieven was about one hundred and eighty-six rubles while that of the silver grieven was from four to five rubles.↑3The burying of gold and silver was customary at that time.↑

1This phrase is a declaration of war.↑2The value of the gold grieven was about one hundred and eighty-six rubles while that of the silver grieven was from four to five rubles.↑3The burying of gold and silver was customary at that time.↑

1This phrase is a declaration of war.↑

1This phrase is a declaration of war.↑

2The value of the gold grieven was about one hundred and eighty-six rubles while that of the silver grieven was from four to five rubles.↑

2The value of the gold grieven was about one hundred and eighty-six rubles while that of the silver grieven was from four to five rubles.↑

3The burying of gold and silver was customary at that time.↑

3The burying of gold and silver was customary at that time.↑

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