opolk, the
son of Isiaslaf, as the eldest of the family. He was not opposed by
Vsevolod's famous son Vladimir Monomachus, who admitted that
Sviatopolk's "father was older than mine, and reigned first in Kief."

V--A RUSSIAN REPUBLIC. (p. 049)

Sviatopolk reigned from 1093 to 1113. It was at this time that Russia
was disturbed by two civil wars. At the instance of Vladimir
Monomachus a congress of dukes met in 1097, at Loubetch on the Dnieper
to discuss the folly of civil wars which placed the country at the
mercy of its enemies. An agreement was concluded, wherein the dukes
swore upon the Cross that "henceforth the Russian land shall be
considered the country of us all, and whoso shall dare arm himself
against his brother, shall be our common enemy."

Soon after this a quarrel broke out about the succession of Volhynia,
and again the country was plunged into civil strife, which lasted two
years. In 1100 another congress was held at Vititchevo, on the left
bank of the Dnieper, where the dispute was settled, and it was
resolved to unite in a war with a powerful nomad people. The Russians
under Vladimir Monomachus gained a brilliant victory; the nomads had
seventeen khans killed on the battlefield.

When Sviatopolk died, the people of Kief declared that they would have
no grand duke except Vladimir. He declined saying that there were
elder heirs entitled to the succession; but when troubles broke out in
the city, he gave his consent. During his reign of twelve years, (p. 050)
from 1113 to 1125, Kief reached the height of prosperity and power. He
reduced Souzdal, in the north, to submission, and made many
improvements. His memory is cherished in Russia. He compiled a set of
instructions for his sons, from which we may judge of his character.
Among other remarks, he says: "It is neither by fasting, nor solitude,
nor the life in a cloister that will procure for you the life
eternal,--it is doing good. Do not forget the poor but feed them. Do
not bury your wealth in the bosom of the earth, for that is contrary
to the precepts of Christianity. Be a father to orphans, judge the
cause of widows yourself." "Put to death no one be he innocent or
guilty, for nothing is more precious than the soul of a Christian."
"When you have learned anything useful, try to preserve it in your
memory, and strive ceaselessly to acquire knowledge. Without ever
leaving his palace, my father sp