Though the sons of Sviatoslav made no demands in public, they cherished
plans in secret, as was shown somewhat later, and very clearly. But
trouble came immediately from other princes. Glaib of Minsk, a son of
Vseslav, that swift moving wizard, so well known to us, ravaged lands
in Monomach’s possessions, and when asked to cease made sharp
reproaches. Because of this, the Grand Prince, in 1116, marched against
Minsk with his sons, and others. The young princes seized various
towns, and Monomach resolved to capture Minsk at every hazard, hence he
fixed his camp before it, and had a house built in haste, for
headquarters. When Glaib saw this house, he begged for peace
straightway, and it was granted him. Somewhat later he rebelled again,
and in 1120 was brought to Kief, where he died that same season.
The next scene of trouble was Volynia. Sviatopolk, the last Grand
Prince, had cherished good feeling toward Monomach, and had caused
Yaroslav, his son, to marry the daughter of Mystislav of Novgorod, son
of Monomach. Sometime later, however, Monomach laid siege to Vladimir,
Yaroslav’s capital. After fighting two months, that prince asked for
peace, and Monomach granted it on condition that Yaroslav would come to
him whenever summoned. The attack on Yaroslav had been made because, in
connection with Boleslav of Poland, who had married his sister, he was
acting in Galitch against Volodar and Vassilko. Monomach had
remonstrated without effect, and then moved on Yaroslav, with the
result we have just seen. Before going on this expedition, the Grand
Prince had recalled Mystislav from Novgorod, and installed him in
Bailgorod, so that in case of need he might have that son near him.
Yaroslav, who, because his father had been Grand Prince, wished to
succeed Monomach, saw in this transfer a step toward taking the
succession from him and giving it to Mystislav, hence his enforced
obedience was short-lived, and he ended it by driving away his wife, a
granddaughter of Monomach. In punishment for this act Monomach moved a
second time against him.
To think of war with Vladimir Monomach, Yaroslav must have counted on
large forces, and have had firm faith in receiving assistance from
allies. But just then his own boyars deserted him, and he was obliged
to flee to Hungary, and later on to Poland.
Monomach then seated in Volynia Roman, his own son, and when this son
died, Andrei, his brother. In 1120 Andrei moved against the Poles with
Polovtsi forces. In the following year Yaroslav set out to attack
Cherven in Galitch with Polish forces, but Monomach had the border
towns well strengthened and in Cherven was Ratiborovitch, his voevoda,
who drove back Yaroslav, entirely baffled.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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