The Story of Russia | Page 9

years, 964-972, he found time to wage two wars. The first was with the

Khazar empire on the Don. Sviatoslaf captured its capital, the White
City, and received tribute from two tribes of the Caucasus. The second
war did not turn out so well.
From Nestor's account and that of Leo the Deacon, it appears that the
Byzantine emperor, wishing to make use of Sviatoslaf, decided to find
out what sort of man he was. He therefore sent him presents of gold and
fine clothes, but the grandson of Rurik would scarcely look at them and
told his warriors to take them away. When the emperor heard this, he
sent him a fine sword and other weapons; these were accepted with
every token of satisfaction by Sviatoslaf. When the emperor was
informed of the result, he exclaimed: "This must be a fierce man,
because he despises wealth and accepts a sword as tribute."
This did not prevent the emperor, who had a private quarrel with Peter,
Czar of Bulgaria, from urging Sviatoslaf to make war upon (p. 038) his
enemy. The Russian gave a hearty consent, and in a very short time he
captured several fortresses and Peréiaslaf, the capital, fell into his hands.
He determined to transfer his capital there, and when he returned to
Kief, he told his mother of the city on the Danube. "The place," he said,
"is the central point of my territory, and abounds in wealth. Precious
goods, gold, wine, and all kinds of fruit, come from Greece. Silver and
horses are brought from the country of the Czechs and Hungarians, and
the Russians bring money, furs, wax, and slaves."
Meanwhile the emperor of Constantinople was dead; his successor,
John Zimisces was a very different man, who preferred having a weak
Bulgarian ruler as his neighbor, instead of an empire which, even at
that time, extended from Lakes Ladoga and Onega to the Balkans. He,
therefore, made up his mind to oust the Russians. Sviatoslaf had left
Bulgaria, but he returned and reconquered it, when he received a
demand from the new emperor to execute the treaty entered into with
his predecessor, that is, to leave Bulgaria. Sviatoslaf replied proudly
that he expected to visit the emperor at Constantinople before long, but
Zimisces, a brave and able man, took measures to prevent it. Before
Sviatoslaf expected him, Zimisces attacked and defeated the Russians
in the defiles of the Balkan, and soon after stormed and captured

Peréiaslaf. Eight thousand Russians withdrew into the castle, which
they defended heroically. They refused to surrender and, when the
castle was set on fire, they perished in the flames.
When Sviatoslaf heard of this disaster, he advanced against the (p. 039)
emperor. The Greek historian says that the Russian army was 60,000
men strong, but Nestor gives the number at 10,000. The two armies met
and both fought with desperate valor, but at last the Russians gave way
before the furious charges of the Greek cavalry--the Ironsides--and
withdrew to Dorostol. Zimisces started in pursuit, and laid siege to the
city where the same courage was displayed. After Sviatoslaf drew his
men up out of the city and prepared to give battle, Zimisces proposed to
him to decide the issue by a personal fight, but the offer was declined.
"I know better than my enemy what I have to do," said Sviatoslaf. "If
he is weary of life, there are a thousand ways by which he can end his
days." The battle ended in defeat for the Russians who, Leo the Deacon
tells us, left 15,500 dead, and 20,000 shields on the battlefield.
Sviatoslaf was compelled to come to terms. Zimisces permitted him
and what remained of his army to return to Russia, after he had sworn
by Perun and Voloss that he would never again invade the empire, but
would help in defending it against its enemies. If he broke his oath, he
wished that he might "become as yellow as gold, and perish by his own
arms." Zimisces showed the nobility of a brave man. He sent
messengers to a warlike tribe requesting a free passage for the Russians;
but this tribe was anxious to seize the opportunity. Sviatoslaf and his
men were attacked near the Cataracts of the Dnieper; he was killed, but
most of his men escaped. (A.D. 972.)
[Illustration: Vladimir] (p. 040)

IV--SAINT VLADIMIR AND IAROSLAF THE GREAT. (p. 041)
Sviatoslaf had divided the empire among his three sons; he left
Novgorod to Vladimir, the eldest; Oleg, the second, was made prince of
the Drevlians, and the youngest, Iaropolk, received Kief. As happens
often, none of the three was satisfied with his share, and civil wars

followed. Oleg was killed by Iaropolk, whereupon the youngest son of
Sviatoslaf was slain by his brother Vladimir, who thus became