Античная древность и средние века (Jan 2019)
Two references about rhos's in the 42th chapter of a treatise «De administrando imperio» by Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos
Abstract
The paper examines the references about Rhos’s in the 42th chapter of a treatise De Administrando Imperio of the Emperor Constantine Porphyrogennetos. This chapter is a consistent description of the geographic locus from Thessaloniki to the Caucasus, as well as people who are associated with them. The chapter dates back to the source of the beginning of the 10th century to the time of Leo VI the Wise. In one fragment is an indication of the habitat of Rus’ in the upper reaches of the Dnieper River, which leads to the conclusion that this is the first mention in written sources of Rus’s emporium near the contemporary village Gnezdovo. In another fragment is an indication of the latitudinal route which was used by Rus’s that led from their settlement to the Volga Bulgars and Khazars, and then south to Syria. This information is remarkably coincides with the conclusions of archaeologists that the latitudinal trade route «Western Dvina – Dnepr – Oka – Volga» was the main artery of communication in the history of early Gnezdovo, and the route «from the Vikings to the Greeks» was the main trade route until the mid 10th century.
