Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
898–911: Slavic Letters and Oleg before Constantinople
898–911: Slavic Letters and Oleg before Constantinople of 46. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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В лѣто 6406. Идоша угре мимо Киевъ горою, еже ся зоветь нынѣ Угорьское, и пришедше къ Днѣпру, сташа вежами; бѣша бо ходяще, яко и половци. И пришедше от въстока и устремишася чересъ горы великыя, иже прозвашася горы Угорьскыя, и почаша воевати на живущая ту. Сѣдяху бо ту преже словене и волохове, переяша землю Волыньскую. Посемъ же угре прогнаша волохы, и наслѣдиша землю ту, и сѣдоша съ словеньми, покоривше я подъ ся. И оттолѣ прозвася земля Угорьска. И начаша воевати угре на Грѣкы, и пополниша землю Фрачьскую и Македоньску доже и до Селуня. И начаша воевати на Мораву и на Чехы. Бѣ бо единъ языкъ словѣнѣскъ: словѣнѣ, иже сѣдяху по Дунаю, ихъже прияша угре, и морава, и чеси, и ляховѣ, и поляне, яже нынѣ зовемая Русь. Симъ бо пѣрвѣе положены книгы моравѣ, яже и прозвася грамота словеньская, яже грамота е в Руси и в болгарехъ дунайскых.
Словѣномъ бо живущимъ кресщеным и княземъ ихъ, Ростиславъ, и Святополкъ и Коцелъ послаша къ цесарю Михаилу, глаголюще: «Земля наша крѣщена, и нѣсть в нас учитель, иже бы нас училъ и казалъ, и протолоковалъ святыя книгы. Не разумѣемъ бо ни грѣчькому языку, ни латиньскому — оны бо ны инако учать, а друзии — инако, тѣмьже не разумѣем книжнаго разума, ни силы ихъ. А послете ны учителя, иже могуть ны сказати книжная словеса и разумъ ихъ». Се слышавъ, Михаилъ цесарь съзъва философы вся и сказа имъ рѣчи вся словеньскыхъ князь. И ркоша философы: «Есть мужь в Селуни, именемь Левъ, И суть у него сынове, разумиви язьку словеньску, и хытра два сына у него и философа». Се слышавъ, цесарь посла по ня в Селунь къ Лвови, глаголя: «Пошли к намъ сына своя, Мефедья и Костянтина». Се слышавъ, Левъ въскорѣ посла я. И придоста къ цесареви, и рече има цесарь: «Се прислалася ко мнѣ словеньская земля, просяще учителя себѣ, иже бы моглъ имъ истолковати святыя книгы, сего бо желают».
И умолена быста цесаремъ, и послаша я въ словѣньскую земьлю къ Ростиславу, и Святополку и Коцьлови. Сима же пришедъшима, начаста съставляти писмена азъбуковьная словеньскы, и преложиста Апостолъ и Еуангелие. И ради быша словѣнѣ, яко слышаша величья Божия своимъ языком. Посемъ же переложиста Псалтырь и Октаикъ и прочая книгы. Нѣции же начаша хулити словеньскыя книгы, глаголюще, яко: «Не достоить никоторому же языку имѣти буковъ своихъ, разъвѣ еврѣи, и грѣкъ и латины, по Пилатову писанию, еже на крестѣ Господни написа». Се же услышавъ, папежь римьскый похули тѣхъ, иже ропьщют на книгы словѣньскыя, рька: «Да ся исполнит книжное слово: яко „Въсхвалять Бога вьси языци“; другое же: „Вси възглаголють языкы различными величья Божия, якоже дасть им Святый Духъ отвѣщевати“. Да аще кто хулить словеньскую грамоту, да будут отлучени от церкве, дондеже исправятся; ти бо суть волци, а не овцѣ, яже достоить от плодъ познати я и хранитися ихъ. Вы же, чада, Божия послушайте учения и не отринете наказания церковнаго, якоже вы наказалъ Мефедий, учитель вашь».
Костяньтинъ же възвратися въспять и иде учить болгарьска языка, а Мефедий оста въ Моравѣ. Посемь же Коцелъ князь постави Мефедия епископа въ Пании, на мѣстѣ святаго апостола Андроника, единого от 70, ученика святаго апостола Павла. Мефедий же посади 2 попа борзописца велми, и преложи вся кьнигы исполнь от грѣцька языка въ словѣнѣскъ шестью мѣсяць, наченъ от марта мѣсяца до двунадесяту и 6 дний октября мѣсяца. Окончавъ же, достойную хвалу и славу Богу въздасть, дающему таку благодать епископу Мефедью, настолнику Андроникову. Тѣмьже словѣньску языку есть учитель Андроникъ апостолъ. Моравы бо доходилъ и апостолъ Павелъ и училъ ту; ту бо е Илурикъ, егоже доходилъ апостолъ Павелъ, ту бо бяша словѣни пѣрвѣе. Тѣмьже словѣньску языку учитель есть Павелъ, от негоже языка и мы есме русь, тѣмже и намъ руси учитель есть Павелъ апостолъ, понеже училъ есть языкъ словѣнескъ и поставилъ есть епископа и намѣстника по себѣ Андроника словѣньску языку. А словѣнескъ языкъ и рускый одинъ.
От варягъ бо прозвашася Русью, а пѣрвѣе бѣша словѣне; аще и поляне звахуся, но словѣньская рѣчь бѣ. Полями же прозвашася, занеже в полѣ сѣдяху, языкъ словѣньскый бѣ имъ единъ.
В лѣто 6407.
В лѣто 6408.
В лѣто 6409.
В лѣто 6410. Леонъ цесарь ная угры на болгары. Угре же, нашедше, всю землю Болгарьскую плѣноваху. Семеонъ же, увѣдавъ, на угры възвратися, угри противу поидоша и побѣдиша болгары, яко одъва Семеонъ въ Деръстеръ убѣжа.
В лѣто 6411. Игореви възрастъшю, и хожаше по Олзѣ и слушаше его, и приведоша ему жену от Плескова, именемь Ольгу.
В лѣто 6412.
В лѣто 6413.
В лѣто 6414.
В лѣто 6415. Иде Олегъ на Грѣкы, Игоря оставивъ Кыевѣ. Поя же множьство варягъ, и словѣнъ, и чюди, и кривичи, и мерю, и поляны, и сѣверо, и деревляны, и радимичи, и хорваты, и дулѣбы, и тиверци, яже суть толковины; си вси звахуться Великая скуфь. И сь сѣми всеми поиде Олегъ на конѣхъ и в кораблѣх, и бѣ числомъ кораблий 2000. И приде къ Цесарюграду, и грѣци замкоша Судъ, а городъ затвориша. И вылѣзе Олегъ на берегъ, и повелѣ воемъ изъволочити корабля на берегъ, и повоева около города, и много убийство створи грѣком, и полаты многы разбиша, а церькви пожьгоша, А ихъже имяху полоняникы, овѣхъ посѣкаху, другыя же мучаху, иныя же растрѣляху, а другыя въ море вметаша, и ина многа зла творяху русь грѣком, елико же ратнии творять.
И повелѣ Олегъ воемъ своим колеса изъдѣлати и въставити корабля на колеса. И бывшю покосну вѣтру, успяша парусы с поля, и идяше къ городу. Видѣвше же грѣцѣ, убояшася, и ркоша; выславше ко Ольгови: «Не погубляй город, имемься по дань, якоже хощеши». И устави Олегъ вои, и вынесоша ему брашна и вино, и не прия его — бѣ бо устроено съ отравою. И убояшася грѣцѣ и ркоша: «Нѣсть се Олегъ, но святый Дмитрий, посланъ на ны от Бога». И заповѣда Олегъ дань даяти на 2000 кораблий, по 12 гривнѣ на человѣка, а в корабли по 40 мужь.
Няшася грѣци по се, и почаша грѣци мира просити, дабы не воевалъ Грѣцькой земли. Олегъ же, мало отступивъ от города, нача миръ творити съ цесарема грѣцькыма, съ Леономъ и съ Александром. Посла к нима в городъ Карла, Фарлофа, Велмуда, Рулава и Стѣмида, глаголя: «Имете ми ся по дань». И ркоша грѣцѣ: «Чего хочете и дамы ти». И заповѣда Олегъ дати воемъ на 2000 кораблий по двѣнатьчать гривнѣ на ключь, и потом даяти углады на руские городы: пѣрвое на Киевъ, таже и на Черниговъ, и на Переяславлъ, и на Полътескъ, и на Ростовъ и на Любечь и на прочая городы; по тѣмь бо городомъ сѣдяху князья, подъ Ольгом суще.
«Да приходять русь сълебное емлють, елико хотят, а иже придуть гостье, да емлють мѣсячину на 6 мѣсяць, и хлѣбъ, и вино, и мяса, и рыбы и овощемъ. И да творять имъ мовь, елико хотять. И поидут же русь домови, да емлют у цесаря вашего на путь брашно, и якоря, и ужа, и парусы и елико надобѣ.» И яшася грѣци, и ркоша цесаря и боярьство все: «Аще приидуть русь бес купли, да не взимают мѣсячины. Да запрѣтить князь людем своимъ, приходящим руси здѣ, да не творят пакости в селѣхъ и въ странѣ нашей. Приходящии русь да витают у святаго Мамы, и послеть царство наше, да испишют имена ихъ, и тогда возмут мѣсячное свое — пѣрвое от города Киева, и пакы ис Чернигова и Переяславля и прочии городи. И да входять в городъ одиными вороты съ цесаревымъ мужемъ, безъ оружья, мужь 50, и да творят куплю, якоже имъ надобѣ, и не платяче мыта ни в чемьже».
Цесарь же Леонъ съ Александром миръ створиста съ Ольгом, имъшеся по дань, и ротѣ заходивше межи собою, целовавше сами крестъ, а Ольга водиша и мужий его на роту по рускому закону: кляшася оружьемь своимъ, и Перуномъ, богомъ своимъ, и Волосом, скотьимъ богомъ, и утвердиша миръ. И рече Олегъ: «Исшийте парусы паволочиты руси, а словѣном кропийнныя». И бысть тако. И повѣсиша щиты своя въ вратѣхъ, показающе побѣду, и поиде от Цесаряграда. И въспяша русь парусы паволочитыѣ, а словѣне кропийнныя, и раздра я вѣтръ. И ркоша словенѣ: «Имемъся своим толъстинамъ — не даны суть словѣном парусы кропинныя». И приде Олегъ къ Киеву, неся золото, и паволокы, и овощи, и вина, и всяко узорочье. И прозваша Ольга «вѣщий» — бяху бо людие погани и невѣголоси.
В лѣто 6416.
В лѣто 6417.
В лѣто 6418.
В лѣто 6419. Явися звѣзда велика на западѣ копейнымъ образомъ.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex (O. V. Tvorogov’s 1997 edition, pinned Russian Wikisource revision), covering the undated introduction and every annal from 6360 to 6625 (852–1117 CE). Worker drafts were checked against the source paragraph by paragraph before publication. Years keep the chronicle’s own reckoning from the creation of the world; subtract 5508 for the approximate year CE, as the chapter titles do.
In the year 6406. The Magyars went past Kyiv along the hill, the one now called Uhorske, and coming to the Dnieper they encamped in their tents; for they journeyed about as the Cumans do. And coming from the east they thrust across the great mountains, which were afterward named the Hungarian mountains, and began to make war upon those who dwelt there. For Slavs had dwelt there before, and Vlachs, who had seized the land of Volhynia. Then the Magyars drove out the Vlachs and took that land for their inheritance, and settled down with the Slavs, having subdued them beneath their hand. And from that time the land was called the Hungarian land. And the Magyars began to make war upon the Greeks, and laid waste the land of Thrace and of Macedonia even to Thessalonica. And they began to make war upon Moravia and upon the Czechs. For there was one Slavic tongue: the Slavs who sat along the Danube, whom the Magyars took, and the Moravians, and the Czechs, and the Poles, and the Polianians, who now are called Rus'. For it was to the Moravians that books were first set down, and these were called the Slavonic script, which script is in use in Rus' and among the Danube Bulgars.
For the Slavs, who dwelt there baptized, together with their princes—Rostislav, and Svatopluk, and Kocel—sent to Emperor Michael, saying: “Our land is baptized, and there is no teacher among us who would teach us and show us and interpret the holy books. For we understand neither the Greek tongue nor the Latin—some teach us one thing and others another, and so we do not grasp the meaning of the books nor their power. Send us teachers who can expound to us the words of the books and their sense.” Hearing this, Emperor Michael summoned all the philosophers and told them all the words of the Slavic princes. And the philosophers said: “There is a man in Thessalonica named Leo, and he has sons skilled in the Slavic tongue—two clever sons, and philosophers.” Hearing this, the emperor sent to Leo in Thessalonica, saying: “Send us your sons, Methodius and Constantine.” Hearing this, Leo sent them without delay. And they came before the emperor, and the emperor said to them: “The Slavic land has sent word to me, asking for a teacher who could interpret the holy books for them; this is what they desire.”
And they were entreated by the emperor, and he sent them into the Slavic land, to Rostislav, and Svatopluk, and Kocel. When the two had come, they began to compose the Slavonic letters of the alphabet, and they translated the Apostle and the Gospel. And the Slavs rejoiced, for they heard the greatness of God in their own tongue. Afterward they translated the Psalter, and the Octoechos, and the other books. But some began to revile the Slavonic books, saying: “No tongue ought to have letters of its own, save the Hebrew, and the Greek, and the Latin, according to Pilate's inscription, which he wrote upon the Lord's cross.” When the pope of Rome heard this, he rebuked those who murmured against the Slavonic books, saying: “Let the word of the book be fulfilled: ‘Let all peoples praise God’; and again: ‘All shall lift their voices with diverse tongues to the greatness of God, as the Holy Spirit gave them to utter.’ If anyone reviles the Slavonic letters, let him be cut off from the church until he makes amends; for these are wolves, not sheep, and by their fruits they must be known and guarded against. You, children, heed the teaching of God and do not cast off the church's instruction, as Methodius your teacher instructed you.”
And Constantine turned back and went to teach the tongue of the Bulgars, and Methodius remained in Moravia. Afterward Prince Kocel made Methodius bishop in Pannonia, at the see of the holy apostle Andronicus, one of the 70, a disciple of the holy apostle Paul. And Methodius took 2 priests, very swift scribes, and translated all the books in full from the Greek tongue into Slavonic in six months, beginning in the month of March and ending on the 26th day of the month of October. And when he had finished, he gave worthy praise and glory to God, who bestows such grace upon Bishop Methodius, successor upon the throne of Andronicus. Therefore the teacher of the Slavonic tongue is the apostle Andronicus. For the apostle Paul also passed through Moravia and taught there; there is Illyricum, to which the apostle Paul came, and the Slavs dwelt there of old. Therefore the teacher of the Slavonic tongue is Paul, from that tongue we also are come, we of Rus'; therefore Paul the apostle is teacher to us Rus' as well, because he taught the Slavonic tongue and appointed after him as bishop and vicar Andronicus, for the Slavonic tongue. And the Slavonic tongue and the tongue of Rus' are one.
For from the Varangians they were named Rus', though of old they were Slavs; even if they were called Polianians, their speech was still Slavonic. And they were named Polianians because they sat in the fields; the tongue they had was one, a Slavonic tongue.
In the year 6407.
In the year 6408.
In the year 6409.
In the year 6410. Emperor Leo hired the Magyars against the Bulgars. And the Magyars, coming upon them, laid waste the whole Bulgarian land. And Simeon, learning of it, turned back against the Magyars; the Magyars marched out against him and defeated the Bulgars, so that Simeon barely escaped to Dorostolon.
In the year 6411. When Igor had grown up he went about with Oleg and obeyed him, and they brought him a wife from Pskov, named Olga.
In the year 6412.
In the year 6413.
In the year 6414.
In the year 6415. Oleg went against the Greeks, leaving Igor in Kyiv. And taking with him a great host of Varangians, and Slavs, and Chud, and Krivichians, and Merians, and Polianians, and Severianians, and Derevlianians, and Radimichians, and Croats, and Dulebians, and Tivertsians, who are interpreters—all these together were called Great Scythia—Oleg set out with them on horses and in ships, and the ships were 2000 in number. And he came to Constantinople, and the Greeks barred the harbor with the chain, and shut up the city. And Oleg came out upon the shore, and he ordered his troops to haul the ships onto the land, and he made war about the city, and worked much slaughter among the Greeks, and shattered many palaces, and burned the churches; and of those they took captive, some they cut down, and others they tormented, and others they shot down with arrows, and others they cast into the sea, and the Rus' did the Greeks many another evil, such as warriors do.
And Oleg ordered his troops to make wheels and to set the ships upon the wheels. And when a following wind rose, they spread the sails from the fields, and the ships moved upon the city. And the Greeks, seeing it, were afraid, and sent to Oleg, saying: “Do not destroy the city; we will pay you tribute, as much as you wish.” And Oleg halted his troops, and they brought out to him food and wine, and he would not take it—for it had been prepared with poison. And the Greeks were afraid, and said: “This is not Oleg, but Saint Demetrius, sent against us by God.” And Oleg commanded that tribute be given for the 2000 ships, 12 grivnas for each man, and 40 men to the ship.
The Greeks agreed to this, and the Greeks began to sue for peace, that he might not make war upon the land of Greece. And Oleg, withdrawing a little from the city, began to make peace with the two Greek emperors, with Leo and with Alexander. And he sent into the city to them Karl, Farlaf, Velmud, Rulav, and Stemid, saying: “Pay me tribute.” And the Greeks said: “Whatever you ask, we will give.” And Oleg commanded that his troops be given, for the 2000 ships, 12 grivnas for each oarlock, and after that payments to the towns of Rus': first to Kyiv, and then to Chernihiv, and to Pereiaslav, and to Polotsk, and to Rostov, and to Liubech, and to the other towns; for in those towns sat princes, under Oleg.
“Let the Rus' take such provisions as they wish; and those who come as merchants, let them take their monthly allowance for 6 months, and bread, and wine, and meat, and fish, and fruit. And let baths be made ready for them, as much as they wish. And when the Rus' set out for home, let them take from your emperor food for the road, and anchors, and rope, and sails, and whatever they have need of.” And the Greeks agreed, and the emperors and all the boyars said: “If the Rus' come and do not trade, let them take no monthly allowance. Let the prince forbid his people, the Rus' who come here, to do any harm in the villages and in our land. Let the Rus' who come lodge by Saint Mamas, and when our realm has been notified, let their names be written down, and then let them take their monthly allowance—first those from the city of Kyiv, and then those from Chernihiv, and Pereiaslav, and the other towns. And let them enter the city by one gate only, with the emperor's man, unarmed, 50 men at a time, and let them trade as they have need, and pay no toll on anything.”
And Emperor Leo, together with Alexander, made peace with Oleg, agreeing upon tribute, and they swore oaths between themselves: the emperors kissed the cross themselves, while Oleg led his men to the oath according to the law of Rus'—they swore by their weapons, and by Perun, their god, and by Volos, the god of cattle, and so they confirmed the peace. And Oleg said: “Sew silken sails for the Rus', and linen sails for the Slavs.” And it was so. And he hung his shields upon the gates, in token of victory, and departed from Constantinople. And the Rus' raised sails of silk, and the Slavs sails of linen, and the wind tore them. And the Slavs said: “We will keep to our own thick canvas—linen sails were not given to the Slavs.” And Oleg came to Kyiv, bearing gold, and silks, and fruit, and wine, and every precious thing. And they called Oleg “the Seer”, for the people were pagan and unenlightened.
In the year 6416.
In the year 6417.
In the year 6418.
In the year 6419. A great star appeared in the west, in the likeness of a spear.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex, paragraph for paragraph, and checked against the source before publication.
In the year 6406. The Magyars passed Kyiv along the hill that is now called Uhorske, and came to the Dnieper and camped there in tents, for they went about as the Cumans did. They had come from the east and pushed across the great mountains, which were named the Hungarian Mountains, and they began to make war on the people living there. Slavs and Vlachs had lived there before, and they had seized the land of Volhynia. Then the Magyars drove out the Vlachs, took that land as their own, and settled with the Slavs, having made them subject to themselves. From that time the land was called the Hungarian land. The Magyars began to make war on the Greeks, and they overran the land of Thrace and Macedonia as far as Thessalonica. They began to make war on Moravia and on the Czechs. For there was one Slavic language: the Slavs who lived along the Danube, whom the Magyars took over, and the Moravians, and the Czechs, and the Poles, and the Polianians, who now are called Rus'. For it was among these that books were first written down, in Moravia; that writing came to be called the Slavic script, and that script is in use in Rus' and among the Danube Bulgars.
When the baptized Slavs and their princes Rostislav, Svatopluk, and Kocel sent to Emperor Michael, they said: “Our land is baptized, and we have no teacher who would teach us, instruct us, and interpret the holy books for us. We understand neither the Greek language nor the Latin: one of them teaches us one way, and the other another, and so we do not understand the sense of the books or their power. Send us teachers who can explain to us the words of the books and their meaning.” Hearing this, Emperor Michael gathered all the philosophers and told them all that the Slavic princes had said. And the philosophers said: “There is a man in Thessalonica named Leo. He has sons who understand the Slavic language; he has two sons, skillful and philosophers.” Hearing this, the emperor sent to Thessalonica, to Leo, saying: “Send us your sons, Methodius and Constantine.” Hearing this, Leo quickly sent them. And they came to the emperor, and the emperor said to them: “The Slavic land has sent to me, asking for a teacher who could interpret the holy books for it; that is what they want.”
The emperor persuaded them, and he sent them to the Slavic land, to Rostislav, Svatopluk, and Kocel. When the two arrived, they began to compose the Slavic alphabet letters, and they translated the Apostolos and the Gospel. And the Slavs rejoiced, because they heard the greatness of God in their own language. Then they translated the Psalter, the Octoechos, and the other books. But some began to slander the Slavic books, saying: “No language should have its own letters, except the Hebrews and the Greeks and the Latins, according to Pilate's inscription, which he wrote on the Lord's cross.” Hearing this, the pope of Rome rebuked those who grumbled against the Slavic books, saying: “Let the word of Scripture be fulfilled: ‘Let all peoples praise God’; and again: ‘All tongues shall speak with different languages the greatness of God, as the Holy Spirit gave them to speak it out.’ Whoever slanders Slavic writing shall be cut off from the church until he mends his ways; they are wolves, not sheep, and one must know them by their fruits and guard against them. But you, children of God, listen to the teaching and do not reject the church's instruction, as Methodius your teacher taught you.”
Constantine went back again and went to teach the Bulgarian language, while Methodius stayed in Moravia. Then Prince Kocel made Methodius bishop in Pannonia, in the seat of the holy apostle Andronicus, one of the 70, a disciple of the holy apostle Paul. Methodius appointed 2 priests who were very fast writers, and he translated all the books in full from Greek into Slavic in six months, from the month of March to the 26th day of the month of October. When he finished, he gave worthy praise and glory to God, who gave such grace to Bishop Methodius, the occupant of Andronicus's seat. So the apostle Andronicus is the teacher of the Slavic language. For the apostle Paul also reached Moravia and taught there; Illyricum is there, which the apostle Paul reached, and the Slavs were there in the beginning. So the teacher of the Slavic language is Paul; we Rus' too are of that language. So the teacher of us Rus' is the apostle Paul, because he taught the Slavic language and appointed Andronicus after him as bishop and deputy for the Slavic language. And the Slavic language and the Rus' language are one.
For they were called Rus' from the Varangians, but at first they were Slavs; even though they were called Polianians, their speech was Slavic. They were named Polianians because they sat in the fields, and they had one language, the Slavic.
In the year 6407.
In the year 6408.
In the year 6409.
In the year 6410. Emperor Leo hired the Magyars against the Bulgars. The Magyars came upon them and plundered the whole Bulgarian land. When Simeon learned of it, he turned back against the Magyars; the Magyars marched out against him and defeated the Bulgars, so that Simeon barely escaped to Dorostolon.
In the year 6411. When Igor grew up, he went about after Oleg and obeyed him, and they brought him a wife from Pskov, named Olga.
In the year 6412.
In the year 6413.
In the year 6414.
In the year 6415. Oleg went against the Greeks, leaving Igor in Kyiv. He took a great many Varangians, and Slovenes, and Chud, and Krivichians, and Merians, and Polianians, and Severianians, and Derevlianians, and Radimichians, and Croats, and Dulebians, and Tivertsians, who are known as interpreters; all of these were called Great Scythia. With all of these Oleg set out on horses and in boats, and the boats were 2000 in number. He came to Constantinople, and the Greeks closed off the Sud and shut themselves in the city. Oleg went ashore and ordered his troops to haul the boats up onto the shore, and he made war around the city and did much killing among the Greeks. They broke down many palaces and burned the churches, and of the prisoners they had taken they cut some down, tortured others, shot others, and threw others into the sea; and the Rus' did many other evils to the Greeks, as enemies do in war.
Oleg ordered his troops to make wheels and set the boats on wheels. When a following wind rose, they raised the sails from the plain, and the boats moved toward the city. The Greeks saw it and were afraid, and sent word to Oleg: “Do not destroy the city; we will submit to tribute, as you wish.” Oleg stopped his troops, and they brought him food and wine, and he would not take it, for it had been prepared with poison. The Greeks were afraid and said: “This is not Oleg, but Saint Demetrius, sent against us by God.” And Oleg ordered tribute paid on the 2000 boats, 12 grivnas per man, with 40 men in each boat.
The Greeks agreed to this, and began to ask for peace, so that he would not wage war on the Greek land. Oleg, having withdrawn a little from the city, began to make peace with the two Greek emperors, Leo and Alexander. He sent to them into the city Karl, Farlaf, Velmud, Rulav, and Stemid, saying: “Submit to me in tribute.” And the Greeks said: “Tell us what you want, and we will give it to you.” And Oleg ordered the troops paid on the 2000 boats, 12 grivnas per rowlock, and after that payment made to the Rus' cities: first to Kyiv, then to Chernihiv, and to Pereiaslav, and to Polotsk, and to Rostov, and to Liubech, and to the other cities, for princes sat in those cities under Oleg.
“The Rus' who come may take provisions, as much as they want, and the merchants who come may take a monthly allowance for 6 months: bread, and wine, and meat, and fish, and fruit. They shall be given baths whenever they want. And when the Rus' go home, they shall take from your emperor for the journey food, and anchors, and ropes, and sails, and whatever they need.” The Greeks agreed, and the emperors and all the boyars said: “If the Rus' come without trading, they shall not take the monthly allowance. Let the prince forbid his own people, the Rus' who come here, to do harm in our villages and in our country. The Rus' who come shall stay at Saint Mamas; let our empire write down their names, and then they shall take their monthly allowance — first those from the city of Kyiv, and then those from Chernihiv and Pereiaslav and the other cities. And they shall enter the city by one gate only, together with an officer of the emperor, without weapons, 50 men at a time, and trade as they need, paying no toll on anything.”
Emperor Leo and Alexander made peace with Oleg, agreeing on tribute, and swore oaths between themselves: they kissed the cross themselves, while Oleg and his men were sworn according to the Rus' law — they swore by their weapons, and by Perun, their god, and by Volos, the god of cattle, and they confirmed the peace. And Oleg said: “Sew sails of silk for the Rus', and of linen for the Slavs.” And so it was done. They hung their shields on the gates as a sign of victory, and Oleg set out from Constantinople. The Rus' raised sails of silk, and the Slavs raised linen ones, and the wind tore them. And the Slavs said: “Let us keep to our own thick canvas — linen sails were not given to the Slavs.” And Oleg came to Kyiv bringing gold, and silks, and fruits, and wines, and every kind of precious thing. And they called Oleg “the Seer,” for the people were pagans and untaught.
In the year 6416.
In the year 6417.
In the year 6418.
In the year 6419. A great star appeared in the west, shaped like a spear.