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The Pechenegs [take] the oaths to the imperial [emissary] according to their own customs, he gives them the imperial gifts, and takes as many of them as he wishes for friends, and returns. And it is necessary to make agreement with them on these terms, that, wherever the emperor may have need of them, they shall perform service, whether against the Rhos, or against the Bulgarians, or also against the Turks. For they are able to fight all these, and having often come against them, they have now become formidable. And this is clear also from the following. For when the cleric Gabriel was once sent to the Turks by imperial command and said to them: "The emperor makes it known to you that you are to go forth and drive out the Pechenegs from their place and that you are to settle there (for you too formerly dwelt there), so as to be near my empire, and when I wish, I send, and find you quickly", all the chieftains of the Turks with one voice cried out: "We will not set ourselves against the Pechenegs; for we are not able to fight against them, because their country is large and their people numerous and they are mischievous children; and for the future do not say this word to us; for we do not like it." For the Pechenegs also cross from the other side of the Dnieper river after the spring, and always spend the summer there. 9 Concerning the Rhos who come from Rhosia with their monoxyla to Constantinople. The monoxyla which come down to Constantinople from outer Rhosia are from Nemogardas, in which Svendosthlabos, the son of Ingor, the archon of Rhosia, used to sit, and others are from the fortress of Miliniska and from Telioutza and Tzernigoga and from Vousegrade. All these, therefore, come down the river Dnieper, and are collected together at the fortress of Kioava, which is called Samvatas. But the Slavs, their tributaries, the so-called Krivetainoianoi, and the Lenzanenoi and the other Sklaviniai cut the monoxyla in their mountains in winter time, and having prepared them, when the season opens, when the ice melts, they bring them into the nearby lakes. And since these flow into the river Dnieper, from there they enter into the same river, and go away to Kiova, and drag them for outfitting, and sell them to the Rhos. The Rhos, buying these hulls only, breaking up their old monoxyla, take from them oars and rowlocks for them and other necessary things *** and equip them. And in the month of June, setting out down the river Dnieper, they come to Vitetzeve, which is a tributary fortress of the Rhos, and gathering there for two and three days, when all the monoxyla have been collected, then they set out, and come down the aforesaid Dnieper river. And first they come to the first barrage, called Essoupe, which is interpreted in Rhos and Slavonic as "do not sleep"; this barrage is as narrow as the width of a polo-ground; and in its middle are sheer, high rocks that stand out like islands. So the water coming and flooding against them and then pouring down from there to the lower part makes a great and fearful noise. And for this reason the Rhos do not dare to pass between them, but putting in close by and disembarking the men on to the land, but leaving the other goods in the monoxyla, they then naked, feeling with their feet ***, so that they may not strike against any stone. This they do, some at the prow, some amidships, and others at the stern, poling with poles, and with all such caution they pass this first barrage by the corner and the river bank. When they have passed this barrage, they take on again the rest from the land and sail away, and come down to the other barrage, called in Rhos Oulvorsi, but in Slavonic

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Πατζινακῖται πρὸς τὸν βασιλικὸν τοὺς ὅρκους κατὰ τὰ ζάκανα αὐτῶν, ἐπιδίδωσιν αὐτοῖς τὰς βασιλικὰς δωρεάς, καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεται φίλους ἐξ αὐτῶν, ὅσους βούλεται, καὶ ὑποστρέφει. Οὕτω δὲ χρὴ συμφωνεῖν μετ' αὐτῶν, ὥστε, ὅπου ἂν χρεωποιηθῇ αὐτοὺς ὁ βασιλεύς, ποιήσωσι δουλείαν, εἴτε εἰς τοὺς Ῥῶς, εἴτε εἰς τοὺς Βουλγάρους, εἴτε καὶ εἰς τοὺς Τούρκους. Εἰσὶ γὰρ δυνατοὶ τοῦ πάντας τούτους πολεμεῖν, καὶ πολλάκις κατ' αὐτῶν ἐλθόντες, φοβεροὶ νῦν καθεστήκασιν. Καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον καὶ ἐντεῦθέν ἐστιν. Τοῦ γὰρ κληρικοῦ Γαβριήλ ποτε πρὸς τοὺς Τούρκους ἀποσταλέντος ἀπὸ κελεύσεως βασιλικῆς καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰπόντος, ὅτι· "Ὁ βασιλεὺς δηλοποιεῖ ὑμᾶς ἀπελθεῖν καὶ ἀποδιῶξαι τοὺς Πατζινακίτας ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῶν καὶ καθεσθῆναι ὑμᾶς (ὑμεῖς γὰρ καὶ πρότερον ἐκεῖσε ἐκαθέζεσθε) πρὸς τὸ εἶναι πλησίον τῆς βασιλείας μου, καὶ ὅτε θέλω, ἀποστέλλω, καὶ ἐν τάχει εὑρίσκω ὑμᾶς", πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν Τούρκων μιᾷ φωνῇ ἐξεβόησαν, ὅτι· "Ἡμεῖς μετὰ τοὺς Πατζινακίτας ἑαυτοὺς οὐ βάλλομεν· οὐ γὰρ δυνάμεθα πολεμεῖν πρὸς αὐτούς, ὅτι καὶ χώρα μεγάλη καὶ λαὸς πολὺς καὶ κακὰ παιδία εἰσί· καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ τὸν λόγον τοῦτον πρὸς ἡμᾶς μὴ εἰπῇς· οὐ γὰρ ἀγαπῶμεν αὐτόν." Ὅτι καὶ οἱ Πατζινακῖται ἐκεῖθεν τοῦ ∆ανάπρεως ποταμοῦ μετὰ τὸ ἔαρ διέρχονται, καὶ ἀεὶ ἐκεῖσε καλοκαιρίζουσιν. 9 Περὶ τῶν ἀπὸ Ῥωσίας ἐρχομένων Ῥῶς μετὰ τῶν μονοξύλων ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει. Ὅτι τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς ἔξω Ῥωσίας μονόξυλα κατερχόμενα ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει εἰσὶ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ Νεμογαρδάς, ἐν ᾧ Σφενδοσθλάβος, ὁ υἱὸς Ἴγγωρ, τοῦ ἄρχοντος Ῥωσίας, ἐκαθέζετο, εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τὸ κάστρον τὴν Μιλινίσκαν καὶ ἀπὸ Τελιούτζαν καὶ Τζερνιγῶγαν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Βουσεγραδέ. Ταῦτα οὖν ἅπαντα διὰ τοῦ ποταμοῦ κατέρχονται ∆ανάπρεως, καὶ ἐπισυνάγονται εἰς τὸ κάστρον τὸ Κιοάβα, τὸ ἐπονομαζόμενον Σαμβατάς. Οἱ δὲ Σκλάβοι, οἱ πακτιῶται αὐτῶν, οἱ Κριβηταιηνοὶ λεγόμενοι, καὶ οἱ Λενζανῆνοι καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ Σκλαβηνίαι εἰς τὰ ὄρη αὐτῶν κόπτουσι τὰ μονόξυλα ἐν τῷ τοῦ χειμῶνος καιρῷ, καὶ καταρτίσαντες αὐτά, τοῦ καιροῦ ἀνοιγομένου, ἡνίκα διαλυθῇ ὁ παγετός, εἰς τὰς πλησίον οὔσας λίμνας εἰσάγουσιν αὐτά. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐκεῖναι εἰσβάλλουσιν εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν ∆άναπριν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐκεῖσε οὗτοι εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν ποταμὸν εἰσέρχονται, καὶ ἀπέρχονται εἰς τὸν Κίοβα, καὶ σύρουσιν εἰς τὴν ἐξάρτισιν, καὶ ἀπεμπολοῦσιν αὐτὰ εἰς τοὺς Ῥῶς. Οἱ δὲ Ῥῶς σκαφίδια καὶ μόνα ταῦτα ἀγοράζοντες, τὰ παλαιὰ αὐτῶν μονόξυλα καταλύοντες, ἐξ αὐτῶν βάλλουσιν πέλλας καὶ σκαρμοὺς εἰς αὐτὰ καὶ λοιπὰς χρείας *** ἐξοπλίζουσιν αὐτά. Καὶ Ἰουνίου μηνὸς διὰ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ∆ανάπρεως ἀποκινοῦντες, κατέρχονται εἰς τὸ Βιτετζέβη, ὅπερ ἐστὶ πακτιωτικὸν κάστρον τῶν Ῥῶς, καὶ συναθροιζόμενοι ἐκεῖσε μέχρι δύο καὶ τριῶν ἡμερῶν, ἡνίκα ἂν ἅπαντα ἀποσυναχθῶσι τὰ μονόξυλα, τότε ἀποκινοῦσιν, καὶ κατέρχονται διὰ τοῦ εἰρημένου ∆ανάπρεως ποταμοῦ. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἔρχονται εἰς τὸν πρῶτον φραγμόν, τὸν ἐπονομαζόμενον Ἐσσουπῆ, ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται Ῥωσιστὶ καὶ Σκλαβηνιστὶ "μὴ κοιμᾶσαι"· ὁ δὲ τούτου φραγμὸς τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν στενός, ὅσον τὸ πλάτος τοῦ τζυκανιστηρίου· μέσον δὲ αὐτοῦ πέτραι εἰσὶ ῥιζιμαῖαι ὑψηλαὶ νησίων δίκην ἀποφαινόμεναι. Πρὸς αὐτὰς οὖν ἐρχόμενον τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ πλημμυροῦν κἀκεῖθεν ἀποκρημνιζόμενον πρὸς τὸ κάτω μέρος ἦχον μέγαν καὶ φόβον ἀποτελεῖ. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μέσον αὐτῶν οὐ τολμῶσιν οἱ Ῥῶς διελθεῖν, ἀλλὰ πλησίον σκαλώσαντες καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀνθρώπους ἐκβαλόντες εἰς τὴν ξηράν, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ πράγματα ἐάσαντες εἰς τὰ μονόξυλα, εἶθ' οὕτως γυμνοὶ τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτῶν ψηλαφοῦντες ***, ἵνα μή τινι λίθῳ προσκρούσωσιν. Τοῦτο δὲ ποιοῦσιν οἱ μὲν πλώρᾳ, οἱ δὲ μέσον, οἱ δὲ καὶ εἰς τὴν πρύμναν μετὰ κονταρίων κοντοβευόμενοι, καὶ μετὰ τοιαύτης ἁπάσης ἀκριβείας διέρχονται τὸν τοιοῦτον πρῶτον φραγμὸν διὰ τῆς γωνίας καὶ τῆς ὄχθης τοῦ ποταμοῦ. Ἡνίκα δὲ διέλθωσι τὸν τοιοῦτον φραγμόν, πάλιν ἀπὸ τῆς ξηρᾶς ἀναλαμβανόμενοι τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀποπλέουσι, καὶ κατέρχονται εἰς τὸν ἕτερον φραγμόν, τὸν ἐπιλεγόμενον Ῥωσιστὶ μὲν Οὐλβορσί, Σκλαβηνιστὶ δὲ