Rus' Flashcards
first town
Staraya Ladoga 750s
why not raiding
no nearby towns
no monasteries
very little of value to steal
so instead gathering resources to make a trade route
What were they trading
furs and slaves and honey
archaeological evidence for rus’
Late 8th - early 9th c. few norse finds outside of Ladoga
Original trade route
Volga
ladoga to bulgar to Itil, then across the caspian and then by camel to bagdad
why Volga route fell out of use
decline of silver from the abbasid caliphate 11th c.
Later trade route
Dneiper
Ladoga to Kiev to the Black Sea (through Pecheneg lands) to Constantinople
Attack on Constantinople
860
Rurik arrives
862
according to the Russian Primary Chronicle
First conversion
Olga, 957 with the Byzantine emperor as her godfather.
Suggestion that she was already christian in Byzantine sources
Rurik’s son
Igor. Killed in 945. Married to Olga
Igor’s wife
Olga
Ruled after Igor’s death in 945 until c. 960
Sviatoslav religion
pagan despite his mother being christian. Said he thought his men would laugh at him
Sviatoslav name
first slavic name in the royal family. After this all names are slavic
Christians relations with Byzentine
Rus-Byzentine treaty 941, some Rus swore on pagan gods but some swore to the christian god
Vladimir conversion date
988
Vladimir conversion details
Married Anna sister of the Emperor Basil as a condition of his marrying her.
Or:
Was asked for help suppressing a rebellion by Basil, and agreed on the condition that he could marry Anna. Vlad agreed to convert and convert his people for this to happen. Sent 6000 troops to aid Basil
Vladimir before the conversion
had 800 concubines and many pagan statues to gods from different cultures
The religion trial
Vladimir asked to be convinced 987
Islam, Latin Christianity, Byzantine Christianity, Judaism
Title given to Rus leaders
Khagan (10th to 11th c.) First used 839
Early treaty with byzantium
907, no weapons, only enter at one city gate, accompanied by guards and had to have fewer than 50 people
