The bond between Galitch and Hungary was ancient. Many of the boyars had friends and even relatives in that country. They visited Hungary, for it was near, and they went thither frequently on business, and sometimes lived in that domain. They liked the Hungarian political order because the common people were submissive and looked on the nobles as masters. The highest class was exceedingly haughty. It was sovereign, and the king was its servant. The ties between the boyars of Galitch and Hungary became so enduring and intimate that the heir to Galitch might find aid more readily in Hungary than in Kief or Vladimir.
Vladimir, son of Eight Minds, was by his first marriage a [[136]]son-in-law of the Kief prince. His wife, dead at this time, was a daughter of Sviatoslav, “the sister’s son.” But that marriage had been so unfortunate that the father-in-law did not like even to mention it. Roman, son of Mystislav of Volynia, was now intriguing against Vladimir, though he had promised his daughter to Vladimir’s son. In Smolensk the prince had just given refuge to the natural enemy of Vladimir, Rostislav, son of Ivan Berladnik.
After the burial of Eight Minds, the intrigues and the efforts of boyars led to nothing, and Vladimir was raised to the throne by the wish of the people. Anastasia’s son, the hated Oleg, had to flee from the country and, dying while young, vanished from record. Vladimir inherited every vice of his father, but not one of his virtues. Disorderly from boyhood, and unconnected at all times, he conducted one year and a half of his reign most disgracefully. All people complained of him. If any man’s daughter or wife pleased Vladimir, he took her. Then he married a woman of such sort that the people of Galitch were indignant. As happened in the case of Anastasia, his unlegalized stepmother, people never mentioned this new woman’s name, and would not speak in detail of her. They only knew that from her the prince had two children. She had been seized from her husband, a priest, and knowing this, no one cared to speak further. Among common people she was mentioned as “the priestess.”
The anger roused by this marriage was so great that it very nearly caused an uprising. Vladimir’s son by his first wife was married to a daughter of Roman. She was in Galitch at that time. Roman, the crafty Prince of Volynia, tempted the boyars of Galitch. To win for himself the principality, he urged them against the unworthy Vladimir. Common people were true to Vladimir, but the boyars sent these words to him: “The people do not oppose thee, but they will not bow down to a priest’s wife. Take whatever princess seems good to thee; they will receive any decent woman, but they will put an end to the priest’s wife.” The boyars knew well that he would not part with the “priestess,” and that both would leave Galitch if threatened. And thus it happened.
Vladimir took treasures, and all the gold and silver which he could carry, and fled to Hungary with his priestess and his children. The Galitch men made no move to stop him. Roman came promptly and was made Prince of Galitch. He gave Volynia to [[137]]Vsevolod, his brother, and kissed the cross while bestowing it, but, as was shown somewhat later, he was over hasty in this action.
The King of Hungary, Bela III, gave Vladimir and his priestess a friendly reception, and promised good aid to the fugitive. They agreed on all points as to what assistance should be given, and then kissed the cross to each other. Soon after, at the head of an army, large and famed for knightly character, Bela III set out to reinstate Vladimir. Roman, though brave and resolute, on hearing of Bela’s approach, did not venture an encounter. He saw clearly that though the men of Galitch were not fond of Vladimir they were true to him, for he was their “native prince,” and they believed that in a war he would undoubtedly have God’s justice on his side. They attributed his flight to the treason of boyars. These same boyars were so hostile to one another that a bloody conflict seemed impending. Roman’s adherents were few; they needed protection against other boyars. A large majority of the boyars throughout the whole country were opposed now to every prince, no matter who he might be, and they opposed more than all the stern Roman, whom they dreaded greatly, not doubting that, were he sure of his strength and position, he would strive to crush them. Many therefore declared their adherence to Bela, who was then drawing near, and was already in the Carpathians.
Roman took Vladimir’s property and all the treasure accessible. He gathered his adherents of lower degree and his boyars, with their wives and children, and turned toward Volynia, but Vsevolod would not vacate his capital, and did not admit his brother. Roman, deprived of land, was obliged to seek the aid of friends. He had been married to a daughter of Rurik of Smolensk, and now he sent his wife to her father; with her went the wives of boyars, and their children. Rurik gave Roman temporary possession of Torchesk, and then commanded Vsevolod to yield up Volynia to his brother and go back to Bailz, his own portion. Vsevolod, fearing Rurik’s anger, obeyed without murmuring, and Roman recovered the lands which he had given away too lightly.
Meanwhile, in Galitch, there happened a thing without parallel in Russia. King Bela was met with such honor that he was astounded. The boyars went forth to him with a solemn announcement of loyalty. The chief men among them declared that they [[138]]knew well his methods in Hungary, that to them the order there was very pleasing, and they begged him to bring just such order into Galitch. Because of this surprising statement, Bela dropped Vladimir and gave the management of Galitch to the boyars. He installed his own son, Andrei, as chief of the government. Vladimir he took back to Hungary as captive, on pretense that he had given a false and deceitful representation of the troubles in Galitch, and besides had not paid the sums promised for friendly assistance. The king took all Vladimir’s property, and put him and his “priestess” under guard in the tower of a castle. It was made to appear that the people of Galitch had bowed down to Bela, and had begged from him a government with his son as a ruler. He had graciously yielded, and had not only given a son, but his heir to rule Galitch.
To Bela III was now added the title Rex Galiciæ (King of Galicia). But as Hungary was subject to Rome in religion, and the title of every dependent State was confirmed by Papal blessing, the Pope of course reckoned the new kingdom among other bishoprics. The boyars knew well that when the people of Galitch learned of this there would be a great outburst, and a war against men of a foreign religion. Still the adherents of Bela, those who had put the land under Latins, guaranteed that the people were mild, and that the subjection of Galitch was a very slight matter, if the Latin faith were brought in without vaunting, by degrees, and in a way not to be noted. The great point was to respect ancient customs and venerated ritual.
After Bela had made his son king in Galitch, he learned very soon that he had been led into serious error. He had word from Andrei that the position was torturing, and would soon grow impossible. Bela was in friendly relations with princes in Central and Northern Russia. Sviatoslav, the Kief prince, negotiated with him continually. He sought connections for his children, and for his grandchildren, and there are absolute proofs that before Bela established his son in Galitch, negotiations directly concerning that principality were carried on between him and the Kief prince.