Feldman, Alex (2013). The historiographical and archaeological evidence of autonomy and rebellion in Chersōn: a defense of the revisionist analysis of Vladimir’s baptism (987-989). University of Birmingham. M.Res.
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Abstract
The conversión of Vladimir, grand prince of Kiev, to Eastem Christianity was a watershed in world history, although the exact reasons for his conversión and the precise nature of the relationship he had with the Byzantine Empire at the time have been misrepresented by generations of historians, eager to present the episode in a manner which essentially glorifies Vladimir the Russian as the master of his own political and religious agendas and denigrates the Byzantine role for its supposed duplicity. Nevertheless, this study, which scrutinizes the works of these earlier tóstorians, discards their methodologies, which frequently and dehberately manipúlate the sources, and instead the present study seeks to deposit greater reliance on the archaeological evidence of this episode by concentrating on the role of the city of Cherson in the southem Crimea in this legend, which has been overlooked and dehberately misinterpreted in furtherance of previous historians' personal, religio-political agendas. To better understand the truth behind Vladimir's choice of Byzantine Christianity over Latin Christianity, this study will therefore seek to identify the major cultural, linguistic, economic and political influences on early Kievan Rus' at the time, using both text-based evidence and a signifícant share of archaeological evidence. In a few words, due to a civil war in Byzantium between 987-989, the rebellious forces of which the citizens of the city of Cherson had doubtlessly united with against their rightful emperor, Basil II Porphyrogennetos, the early Russian polity, then seated in Kiev and led by Vladimir, embarked on an expedition to capture this city in the southem Crimean península. But most historians have hitherto suggested that this event was because Basil II had promised Vladimir the hand of his coveted sister in marriage and had then reneged on the offer. The question is, were the Russians acting on behalf of the emperor or in spite of him?
| Type of Work: | Thesis (Masters by Research > M.Res.) |
|---|---|
| Award Type: | Masters by Research > M.Res. |
| Licence: | |
| College/Faculty: | Colleges (2008 onwards) > College of Arts & Law |
| School or Department: | School of History and Cultures, Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies |
| Funders: | None/not applicable |
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D051 Ancient History D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D111 Medieval History |
| URI: | http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/4865 |
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