Apuolė (Civ6)/Civilopedia

A tiny village even now (the Lithuanian census of 2011 lists only 119 residents), in the early medieval years Apuolé was a hill fort of the Curonians, a tiny Baltic tribe. The chronicles of Rimbert describe how in 854 AD the Curonians refused to pay their annual tribute to the Swedish Vikings to be left in peace. The fortress was first assaulted by Danish Vikings looking to replace the Swedes as recipients of said unspecified tribute. The locals defeated the Danish force, gaining much loot. After hearing of the Danish repulse, King Olof of Sweden gathered a great fleet and descended on the Curonians. According to Rimbert, the 15000 tribemen there held out for eight days before surrendering. Supposedly the Curonian chieftain paid a silver ransom for each man in the fortress, pledged his loyalty to Olof, and gave 30 hostages to guarantee future payments.