Byzantine Factor in the Context of the European Politics of Galich-Volyn prince Roman Mstislavovich

Abstract

The paper analyses the investigations of problem of relations of Galich-Volyn prince Roman with Byzantine Empire in historiography, reveals peculiarities of interstate relations of Rus’, Byzantium and European countries at the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th centuries on the basis of source ground. The problems of clarifying the circumstances of the second marriage of Roman Mstislavovich, different hypotheses of the origin of Great princess Romanova, the connection of the new Galich-Byzantine political union with military campaigns of prince Roman against polovtzys are considered. Little known aspects of the foreign policy of Galich-Volyn leader are traced. The conclusions about the role of Roman Mstislavovich in the political system of that time have been drawn. All this is important for proper understanding of the historical development of the Rus’-Byzantine relations