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Primary Chronicle

St Nestor the Chronicler, tr. Cross, 1930

3. Appendix 3: Events of 1110–1113 from Hypatian Text

[H³ 259] As the prophet David says, “He shall give his angels charge concerning thee to preserve thee” (Ps. xci, 11). As Epiphanius the Sage has written: “For every object an angel is appointed: an angel for clouds and darkness, for snow and hail and frost; an angel for voices and thunders, an angel for cold and heat, for autumn, spring, and summer: each spirit possesses its apportioned object upon the earth and in the secret abysses, which are hidden under the earth, and in the nethermost darknesses which are in the space which of old was above the earth, and from which come darkness, evening, and night, as well as light and day; to every object angels are thus assigned. If an angel is appointed to observe any country, where pagans dwell, and if God’s anger falls upon that country, so that he commands the angel to attack it, the angel in that country does not oppose God’s commandment.”¹

Thus it was that God for our sins brought upon us the pagans, and they overcame us by God’s commandment. For they were led [260] by an angel through divine command. If any one say there is no angel among the pagans, let him hear what befell Alexander of Macedon, who, after preparing an expedition against Darius, came upon him, and conquered all the earth from sunrise to sunset. He overcame the land of Egypt, he overcame Aram, and arrived at the islands of the sea; and he turned his face to go against Jerusalem and conquer the Jews, for they were at peace with Darius. He thus came with all his soldiery, encamped, and took his rest. When night came, as he lay upon his pallet in his tent, and opening his eyes, he saw a man standing over him, and a naked sword was in his hand, and its flash was like lightning; and he aimed his sword at the King’s head.

The King was sore afraid, and said, “Strike me not,” but the angel replied, “God has sent me to strike down great kings and many nations before thee. I go before thee to help thee; and now learn how thou shalt die, inasmuch as thou hast thought to go against Jerusalem, and to inflict evil upon the Jews, God’s chosen people.” And the King said, “I pray thee, oh Lord, remit now thy servant’s sin; if my project be displeasing to thee, I will return to my house.” But the angel answered, “Fear not; go thy way to Jerusalem, and [261] thou shalt see in Jerusalem a man after my likeness; fall quickly on thy face and bow before that man, and whatever he commands thee, execute it, and transgress not his instruction; for on the day that thou dost transgress his instruction, thou shalt die.”

The King arose then, went to Jerusalem, and upon arriving there, he inquired of the Jews whether he should attack Darius. They showed him the books of Daniel the Prophet, and made answer, “Thou art the goat and he is the ram, thou shalt smite him and shalt take his realm.”

Now did not an angel lead Alexander, and did not a pagan conquer all the Greek idolaters? Likewise are these pagans let loose in consequence of our sins. For let this be known, that there is one angel among Christians, and since they are baptised, our orthodox princes are especially favored by angelic guidance. But [the angels] may not oppose God’s commandment, though they pray God earnestly in behalf of Christian men. Therefore it came to pass that, at the prayers of the holy Virgin and the holy angels, God had pity, and sent his angels to help the Princes of Rus against the pagans. As he said unto Moses: “Behold, my angel shall go before thy face” (Ex., xxii, 34). As we previously narrated, this sign appeared on February 11, toward the close of [66] 18.

6619 (1111). Now God inspired Vladimir, and he bespoke his brother Svyatopolk, urging him to a fall campaign against the pagans. Svyatopolk informed his followers of Vladimir’s suggestion, and they replied, “This is not the time to ruin the peasant and his fields.” Svyatopolk then sent his answer to Vladimir [262] saying, “Let us meet together and discuss this matter with our followers.” The messengers came to Vladimir, and reported to him Svyatopolk’s reply. Vladimir then set out, and they met together at Dolobsk. Svyatopolk and his retainers and Vladimir, accompanied by his own retinue, took seats in one tent. There was silence till Vladimir said, “Brother, you are the elder; tell us first what our intentions should be in behalf of the land of Rus.” But Svyatopolk replied, “Brother, do you rather begin.” So Vladimir remarked, “How shall I speak, when your retinue will make cause against me, urging that I wish to ruin the peasants and the harvest with them? I am rather surprised, my brother, that you concern yourselves for the peasant and his horses, completely disregarding the fact that at autumn he will begin to plow with his horse, and then the Polovcian will come, shoot the peasant with his bolts, seize the peasant’s nag and his wife and his children, and then burn his grange. Why not think of that possibility?” Then all the retainers remarked that this was entirely in accord with the facts. So Svyatopolk announced, “For my part, brother, I am ready to set out with you.”

They then despatched messengers to David, son of Svyatoslav, to invite his assistance. Vladimir and Svyatopolk arose then, kissed each other, and set out against the Polovcians. Vladimir, Svyatopolk, and David, supported by their sons, thus set forth, hoping in God and in the Immaculate Virgin, and in God’s holy angels. They went out during the second week of Lent, and on Friday they were at the Sula. On Saturday, they moved forward to the Khorol, [263] and there they left their sleds. On Sunday, upon which they kissed the cross, they advanced to the Psyol, and thence took position on the Golta river. At that point, additional forces awaited them, and they went on to the Vorskla. There, upon Wednesday, the day following, they kissed the cross, and with many tears placed all their hope upon it. During the sixth week of Lent, they traversed many rivers, and on Tuesday arrived at the Don. They marshalled themselves in battle array, aligned their troops, and approached the city of Sharukan.

Prince Vladimir, as he rode before his troop, directed them to sing hymns and chants, and the canon of the Holy Virgin. At eventide, they rode up to the city, and on Sunday the inhabitants came forth and made submission to the Russian princes, offering gifts of fish and wine. There they passed the night, and on Wednesday, the following day, they arrived at Sugrov, which they burned. On Thursday, they left the Don, and on the next day, Friday March 24, the Polovcians assembled, marshalled their troops, and advanced to battle. Our princes placed their hope in God, and said, “If we are to meet our death here, let us stand fast.” So they kissed each other, and raising their eyes to heaven, called upon the most high God. When the foes clashed and the strife was bitter, God [264] on high looked down with anger upon the aliens, and they fell before the Christians. And thus were the aliens conquered, and many foes, our enemies, fell before the Russian princes and foemen at the brook Degeya, and God aided the Princes of Rus. They thus rendered thanks to God on that day, and on the morrow, which was Saturday, they celebrated the resurrection of Lazarus, the day of annunciation. They passed Saturday in praise to God, and thus came to Sunday.

Now when Monday of Passion Week was come, the aliens collected a great multitude of their soldiery, and advanced like wild boars, in dark multitudes, and the Russian forces gave ground. And the Lord God sent an angel to the aid of the Princes of Rus. The Polovcians and the Russian troops advanced; they first fought in formation, and there was a roar like thunder as the two fronts met. The battle was fierce between them, with heavy losses on both sides. Vladimir and David then advanced with their troops, upon the sight of whom the Polovcians took to flight. But they fell before Vladimir’s advance, stricken invisibly by angels, as many men beheld, and their heads fell to earth, severed by invisible hands. The Polovcians were thus conquered on March 27, being Monday in Holy Week. A great multitude of the aliens were slain on the river Salnitsa and [265] God thus saved his people.

Svyatopolk, Vladimir, and David then glorified God, who granted them such a victory over the pagans, and they captured many cattle, horses and sheep, as well as numerous prisoners. To the prisoners they put the question, “How came it that you, with such strength and multitudinous forces, could not resist, but speedily took to flight?” They replied, “How can we fight with you, when other men rode above you in bright and terrible panoply to help you?” But these are angels, sent from God to aid Christians. For an angel inspired Vladimir Monomakh to incite his brethren, the Princes of Rus, against the aliens. Thus, as we have recounted, a portent was seen in the Crypt Monastery in the guise of a fiery pillar standing over the refectory, whence it moved to the church and thence to Gorodetz. Vladimir was at the time in Radosyn, and then an angel moved Vladimir’s heart and exerted compulsion upon him, as we have related.

Therefore the angels are worthy to be praised, even as John Chrysostom² has said: “They sing eternally to thee, their Creator, that he may be merciful and kind to men. The angels are, I say, our allies as we fight against hostile powers, and in their number is [266] the Archangel Michael, who fought the devil for the body of Moses, and withstood the prince of the Persians in protection of the people’s liberty. For when by God’s command they had obtained control of all creation and were in authority over the mightiest of the nations, he judged Gabriel worthy to oversee the Persians, but bade Michael guard the people of circumcision. But according to some ineffable divine principle, one angel obliged the Jews to serve the Persians, while the other drew them toward liberty, and constantly inspired their worship of God, as he said, ‘Oh Lord omnipotent, how long wilt thou not pity Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, which thou hast seen these eighty years?’ In his vision Daniel saw him in flight, and his face was as the lightning and his eyes like torches of fire, and his arms and legs like the sheen of bronze, and the voice of his words like the voice of a mighty throng. It was one of them who turned aside Balaam’s ass, and saved him from impure enchantment. It was one of them who drew his sword before Joshua, son of Nun, and by his appearance urged him to engage his foes. It was one of their number who slew 180,000 Assyrians in a single night, and mixed with death the slumber of the barbarians. [267] One of them it was who lifted up the Prophet Habakkuk with a leap through the air, that he might save the Prophet Daniel among the lions. It is these and such as these who excel against the foe. Such was the divine Raphael who by cutting up the entrails of a fish, cured a girl possessed of devils, and restored the aged blind man’s sight. Are not these who save one life worthy of great honors? Angels are not only set as guardians of the Gentiles, according to the saying (Deut., xxxii): ‘When the most high divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the angels of God;’ but also to every faithful man is an angel appointed. For when the girl Rhoda announced to the apostles that Peter stood before the door, when he had escaped from Herod’s prison, they said, in their lack of faith, ‘It is his angel.’ Our Lord bears witness to these things in his words: ‘Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of our Father which is in heaven.’ (Matthew, xviii, 10) Indeed, Christ set angels as guards over every church, even as John says in Revelation: ‘Say to the angel of the church in Smyrna, “I have seen thy poverty and thy affliction; but rich art thou (Apoc., ii, 8, 9).” Justly therefore do we honor the angels who love us and pray the Lord in our behalf. For they are, in the words of the apostle, ‘ministering spirits, set forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of [268] salvation,’ (Heb., i, 14) whose champions and allies they are. You have just heard from Daniel how he brought the Archangel Michael, who does battle for our liberty before all men. Now one angel compelled the people to serve the Persians, as has been said; but the other was zealous to relieve their servitude. Thus Michael overcame his adversary; for the Jews, after crossing the Euphrates, received their homes from his hand once more, and rebuilt the city and the temple.” Likewise the great Epiphanius³ said, “Holy writ declares that an angel is appointed to every nation. For an angel spoke to Daniel mentioning the Prince of the Persians and the Prince of the Greeks, as well as Michael the lord of the Persians. Moses has said, ‘He has set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God.’” And further, Hippolytus says, in his interpretation of Daniel:⁴ “‘In the third year of Cyrus the king, I, Daniel, was in mourning for three weeks, and in the first month I was consoled, after praying to God for twenty-one days, entreating of him revelation of a secret. And giving ear, the Father sent forth his word, and commanded that his desire should be fulfilled.’ And Daniel was beside a great river; a fair vision was to appear there, where God was desirous of remitting human sin. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw a man in purple; in his first vision he had beheld the angel Gabriel in flight, but this time he beheld the Lord himself, not entirely as a man, but appearing in human form, as he says, ‘Behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded in pure gold; his body [269] also was like the beryl, and his face as the lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his legs and shoulders like to pure brass, and his voice as of a great multitude. And I fell on the earth, and behold, he appeared unto me like a human hand, and lifted me to my knee, and said to me, “Fear not, Daniel; knowest thou wherefore I have come to thee? I will fight with the prince of Persia. But I will show thee the scripture of truth, and no one can vie with me in these things but Michael your prince. Him I have left among you from the day when you were zealous in prayer before your God, who has heard your petition, and I am come forth to do battle with the Prince of the Persians. There was some council not to let the people go, but I opposed it, and left here Michael your prince.”’ Who is Michael but the angel appointed for the people? As Moses says: ‘I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou art a stiff-necked people, but my angel shall go with you (Ex., xxxiii, 2–3).’”

Thus with God’s aid, through the supplications of the Virgin and his holy angels, the Russian princes returned homeward with great glory among their people and among all foreign nations, the Greeks, the Hungarians, the Poles and the Czechs, whence their fame penetrated even to Rome, to the glory of God, now, henceforth, and forever more, Amen.

On October 7 [270] of the same year died the Princess, wife of Vsevolod, and she was buried in the monastery of St Andrew. On November 23 of this year died John, Bishop of Chernigov.

6620 (1112). Yaroslav, son of Svyatopolk, attacked and defeated the Yatvingians. Having returned with his army, he sent envoys to Novgorod, and on May 12 was betrothed to the daughter of Mstislav (she who was granddaughter of Vladimir) and she was brought to him on June 29. In the same year, Vladimir’s daughter Euthymia was married to the King of Hungary. On May 25 of this year, David son of Igor passed away, and on the 29th was buried at Klov in the church of the Virgin of Blachernae. On November 3 of this year died Yanka, Vladimir’s sister and the daughter of Vsevolod, and she was laid to rest in the church of St Andrew which her father had built. As a maiden, she had also taken the veil in this same church. Toward the close of this year, on January 12, Theoktistos, prior of the Crypt Monastery, was appointed Bishop of Chernigov, and consecrated on the 19th to the great joy of Prince David and his consort, for he had been the Princess’s father confessor. The nobles and all the people rejoiced, for his predecessor had been precluded from active ministration by an illness of twenty-four years’ duration, so that the Prince and his people desired a more active prelate, and thus were happy as they glorified God. Under the circumstances, since the Crypt Monastery was without a prior, the brethren all met together and after electing [271] as their prior Prokhor the priest’s son, they reported their action to the bishop and Prince Svyatopolk, who gladly commanded the metropolitan to consecrate him, and he was thus consecrated on Thursday February 9, in the week before Lent; thus the community entered upon the fast duly provided with a prior.

6621 (1113). On March 19th, being the 29th day of the moon, and at the first hour of the day, there was a generally visible portent in the sun, which was reduced to small size, with horns at the ends like the moon. These portents forbode no good; such signs in the sun, moon, or stars do not apply to the whole world, but are visible only in the country where they appear. Thus in the days of Antiochus, there were portents at Jerusalem with armed warriors riding on steeds through the air amid the clash of arms. This was visible, however, in Jerusalem only, but did not appear elsewhere. Thus there was a portent in the sun which presaged the death of Svyatopolk. For afterward came the Easter festival, which was duly celebrated, but after the holiday the prince fell ill. Thus on April 16, at Vyshegorod, the pious prince Michael, called Svyatopolk, passed away. He was brought on a boat to Kiev, where they adorned his body and laid it on a sledge. After the nobles and his retinue had wept over him, chanting the usual [272] hymns, they laid him to rest in the church of St Michael, which he himself had built. The Princess his wife distributed many riches to monasteries and priests and poor, arousing universal wonder that any one could give so many alms. On the morrow, being April 17, the inhabitants of Kiev took council, and invited Vladimir to ascend the ancestral throne. On hearing their message, Vladimir wept, and refused to accept, mourning for his brother. But the men of Kiev plundered the palace of Putyata the Thousandman, and attacked and robbed the Jews. The citizens of Kiev once more sent messengers to Vladimir saying, “Come, oh Prince, to Kiev; and if you do not come, know that much evil will befall. For it will not be merely a matter of robbing the palace of Putyata, or the hundredmen, or even the Jews, but they will attack your sister-in-law, the nobles, and the monasteries, and if they plunder the monasteries, you will be responsible for it.” When Vladimir heard these sayings, he went to Kiev.

The beginning of the principate of Vladimir, son of Vsevolod. Vladimir arrived at Kiev on Monday, and was met with great honor by the Metropolitan Nicephorus, the bishops, and all the inhabitants. He thus assumed the throne of his father and his ancestors, and all the people rejoiced, and the rioting was quelled. When the Polovcians learned of the death of Svyatopolk, they gathered their forces and advanced to the Vyr. Vladimir [273] assembled his sons and nephews, set out for the Vyr, and joined with Oleg, but the Polovcians fled. In the same year, he located his son Svyatoslav in Pereyaslavl, and Vyachislav in Smolensk. On September 14 of this year died the prior of the Monastery of St Lazarus, a recluse of pious life, who passed sixty years in monastic orders and was ninety-two years old at his death. On September 11 of this year, Vladimir accepted the daughter of Volodar as wife for his son Roman. In this year, Izyaslav founded at Novgorod the stone church of St Nicholas in the princes’ palace by the marketplace. In this same year, Vladimir placed his son Yaropolk in Pereyaslavl. In the same year Daniel was appointed Bishop of Yuryev and Nikita at Byelgorod.

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