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Concept
Rus'–Byzantine Treaty (911)
Summary
The Rus'–Byzantine Treaty of 911 is the most comprehensive and detailed treaty which was allegedly concluded between the Byzantine Empire and Kievan Rus' in the early 10th century. It was preceded by the preliminary treaty of 907. It is considered the earliest written source of Kievan Rus' law. The text of this treaty is only found in the Primary Chronicle (PVL), and its authenticity is therefore difficult to establish.
The text of the document is incorporated into the Primary Chronicle (PVL) sub anno 911. The text also includes speeches of the parties on the occasion.
The treaty opens with a lengthy enumeration of the Rus' envoys.
Article 1 proclaims the "solid and durable" friendship between Rus' and Greeks, and provides that the Rus' will never cause any damage to the Greeks and vice-versa.
The articles 3 to 7 regulate criminal law and the life of their colony at Constantinople. There is also a proviso on inheritance of a merchant who died in the imperial capital.
The article 8 is dedicated to maritime law.
The following articles enlarge on ransom of captives, exchange of criminals, and the status of the Varangian mercenaries in Byzantine service.
Because the text of this treaty is only found in the Primary Chronicle (PVL), it is difficult to authenticate. Some scholars believe that the original text of the treaty was written in Medieval Greek, then translated into (Old) Church Slavonic, after which the Greek original was lost. Cross & Sherbowitz-Wetzor (1930) wrote about the earliest treaties in general:
The textual and archival history of the treaties of 907, 912, 945, and 971 is completely obscure, and it has never been satisfactorily determined whether the copies preserved in the Povest represent Old-Russian texts of the treaties made when they were negotiated, or whether they are translations afterward prepared from Greek originals which subsequently came to light in Kiev itself.
Official source
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