Byzantine impacts on the life and activity of Rus’ King Danylo Romanovich

Abstract

The paper analyses the Byzantine impacts on the life of Rus’ King Danylo Romanovich. The urgency of the theme is determined by insufficient investigation in historical science of the role of Byzantine factor in the activity of the elder son Danylo of Galician-Volyn prince Roman Mstislavovich. The purpose of the publication is the description of the role of Byzantine factor in the life of king Danylo.

The consideration of the question of the origin of Danylo’s mother – Great princess Romanova – is made on the bases of the analyses of different versions presented in historiography. Among the main versions, namely Boyar, Catholic and Byzantine ones, the latter attracted the attention of the greater part of scientists because it is grounded on the union agreement of Roman Mstislavovich with Byzantium in 1200.

The version about Bizantine origin of the second wife of Roman is supported by a number of arguments; for example, by the origin of the name Danylo. It appeared in the name list of Rurikoviches only at the beginning of the 13th century. The appearance of the name in Rus’ is connected with the reverencing the memory of St. Daniil Stovpnik makes it possible to establish the date of the birth of Danylo Romanovich about 11 December 1201 or the basis of the calendar of church celebrations and the common for Rurikoviches the tradition of correspondence of Christian monthnames and prince namelist. The increased interest to Stovpnitstvo is traced also in the appearance at the beginning of the 13th century of the town Stovpie, of stone towers-stovps, the moving of Danylo’s mother in 1219 to Spaso-Stovpie’s monastery.

The Byzantine factor not only influenced the formation of Danylo’s world outlook positions but also emphasized his status as a monarch by the image of the eagle on the stone monument at the entrance to town Holm and by Danylo’s celebration dress made of holoverus and Christian humility and Grace to enemies and opponents. Bizantine (Nikaia’s) factor was one of the main reasons of Danylo Romanovich’s coronation in the second half of 1253, which was supported by princess Ramanova. Even the Danylo’s participation in the struggle for Austrian heredity had a Bizantine context due to kinship links of Frederick II Babenberg’s mother – Feodora with princess Romanova.

It has been concluded that the Bizantine factor is traced in Danylo Romanovich’s life beginning from the brining up in Bizantine traditions which his mother developed in him from his childhood. In his political activity Danylo was a successive follower of the Bizantine model of relations between the monarch with vassals and church figures. An important place in Danylo Romanovich’s life was played by spiritual values, namely by family relics and cults which were influenced by Bizantine impacts.