Rus’–Byzantine Treaty of 944
The treaty concluded by Igor’s envoys with Romanos I restored peace and trade on stricter terms than in 911 and bound the Rus’ to protect the Byzantine possessions in Crimea; it names both pagan and Christian Rus’.
- Date
- between 944 and 945exact date unknown: an interval is given
- Place
- Constantinopletoday: Istanbul, Turkey · Balkans and Anatolia
- Participants
- Igor of Kiev, Olga of Kiev, Sviatoslav I, Kievan Rus’, Byzantine Empire
- Threads
- Eastern Europe and Rus’ before the Baptism (1st–10th c.)
- Also known as
- Treaty of 945; Igor's treaty; Договор Игоря с греками; Договор 945 года
Rus’ merchants now had to carry charters from their prince, could enter the city only through one gate, in groups of fifty and unarmed, and were not to winter at the mouth of the Dnieper; the Rus’ were not to attack Cherson and were to keep the “Black Bulgarians” away from it. The long list of envoys and merchants, acting for Igor, Olga, Sviatoslav and many other members of the ruling clan, is a unique picture of the Rus’ elite.
The pagan Rus’ swore by Perun, the Christians in the church of St Elijah in Kyiv — evidence of a Christian community among the prince’s men. The Primary Chronicle places the treaty under 945, but the emperors named in it — Romanos, Constantine and Stephen — ruled together only until Romanos I was deposed in December 944, so the treaty is usually dated to 944.
Connections
Causes and preconditions
- Igor’s campaigns against Byzantium11 June 941 – 944 · Balkans and Anatolia
Related events
- Drevlian uprising and death of Igor945 · Eastern Europethe costly campaigns and a less favourable treaty increased the prince’s need for tribute
Same participants
- Olga’s revenge on the Drevlians945–946 · Eastern Europevia Olga of Kiev
- Constantine VII describes the Rus’ route to Constantinoplebetween 948 and 952 · Eastern Europevia Byzantine Empire
Same place
- Founding of Constantinople11 May 330 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Council of Chalcedon8 October – 1 November 451 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Corpus Juris Civilis7 April 529 – 16 November 534 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Construction of Hagia Sophia23 February 532 – 27 December 537 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Plague of Justinian541–549 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Jordanes and Procopius describe the Sclaveni and the Antesbetween 550 and 554 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Avar–Persian siege of Constantinople29 June – 7 August 626 · Balkans and Anatolia
- First Arab siege of Constantinople674–678 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Second Arab siege of Constantinoplebetween 15 July and 15 August 717 – 15 August 718 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Byzantine Iconoclasmbetween 726 and 730 – 11 March 843 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Rus’ attack on Constantinople18 June – 4 August 860 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Oleg’s campaign against Constantinople907 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Rus’–Byzantine Treaty of 9112 September 911 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Olga’s visit to Constantinople and her baptism9 September – 18 October 957 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Sack of Constantinople12–13 April 1204 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Reconquest of Constantinople25 July 1261 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Fall of Constantinople29 May 1453 · Balkans and Anatolia
- Accession of Suleiman the Magnificent30 September 1520 · Balkans and Anatolia
Adjacent events in the thread
- Gnezdovo inscriptionbetween 925 and 960 · Eastern Europe
Meanwhile in the world
Other regions, within 25 years of this event
Western and Central Europe
- Battle of Lechfeld10–12 August 955
- First Althing at Þingvellir930
- Abd al-Rahman III proclaims the Caliphate of Córdoba16 January 929
- Imperial coronation of Otto I2 February 962
- Baptism of Poland14 April 966
Eastern Europe
- Drevlian uprising and death of Igor945
- Olga’s revenge on the Drevlians945–946
- Gnezdovo inscriptionbetween 925 and 960
- Constantine VII describes the Rus’ route to Constantinoplebetween 948 and 952
- Sviatoslav’s campaign against the Khazars964 – between 968 and 969
+ 2 events
The same period
Sources
- Wikipedia (English): Rus'–Byzantine Treaty (945)
- Wikipedia (Russian): Русско-византийский договор (944)
- Сахаров А. Н. Дипломатия Древней Руси: IX — первая половина X в. — М.: Мысль, 1980.
- Литаврин Г. Г. Византия, Болгария, Древняя Русь (IX — начало XII в.). — СПб.: Алетейя, 2000.
- Wikidata: Q2883179