Byzantium and the Rus’ in the late tenth and eleventh centuries
Year: 2020

Concerning the first “Christian” century of the Rus’ and its relations to the Byzantine Empire in this time, the literary sources are not helpful enough, leading to quite problematic interpretations. Byzantium had its own experience with the peoples of Eastern Europe since the first Rus’ian governments in the ninth century and had learned to highly esteem especially the military strength of Scandinavian soldiers active there. In 988, the army from the Rus’ won a victory over Kalokyros Delphinas,