Izyaslav, the Grand Prince, now asked Rostislav of Murom to attack Yuri’s country. The Murom prince moved at once. We have seen that Rostislav’s nephew and enemy, Vladimir, was in Sviatoslav’s camp, being thus an ally of Yuri, hence Rostislav was ready to fight against Yuri. Besides, Rostislav could not have been friendly to the sons of Oleg, one of whom had driven his father from his throne in Chernigoff. Yuri had reached Kozelsk, when he heard that Rostislav of Murom was attacking his country. This forced him back, but he sent his son, Ivan, who received Kursk and lands on the Seim as reward from Sviatoslav. It was clear that the latter would give what he had to preserve the alliance, and, with Yuri’s aid, redeem Igor. After he had given half his land for this ally, he tried, at the advice of his boyars, to win the sons of David to his cause, and sent to them his priest with this message: “Ye have ravaged my lands, seized my herds and the herds of my brother. Ye have burned my provisions and destroyed all my property; nothing remains for you now, but to kill me.” “Abandon thy brother,” answered the sons of David. “I would rather die,” replied Sviatoslav, “than abandon my brother. I will strive for him while life is in me.” The sons of David now plundered on every side. They took Igor’s town, where he had a residence. In his cellars were mead and wines, in his storehouses goods of much value. All that men could remove they took with them, then they fired the place, burning nine hundred stacks of grain.