lement, Bishop
of Rome, and his disciple Thebas, with church vessels and ornaments and
icons, he restored the city to be again under the power of the emperors,
and returned to Kieff, accompanied by the princess, their daughter, and
her Greek ecclesiastics.

Nestor makes no mention of any of the bishops and priests from
Constantinople and Cherson who followed in the train of the Prince,
excepting only of one, Anastasius, the priest who had rendered him such
good service during the siege; but the _Books of the Genealogies_ give
the name of Michael, a Syrian by birth, and of six other bishops who
were sent together with him to Cherson by the patriarch Nicholas
Chrysoberges. Some have ventured to suppose that Michael was the name of
the bishop of the times of Oskold; but Nestor says nothing about him,
and this much only is certain, that he stands the first in the list of
the metropolitans of Russia.

After his return to Kieff the "Great Prince" caused his twelve sons to
be baptized, and proceeded to destroy the monuments of heathenism. He
ordered Peroun to be thrown into the Dnieper. The people at first
followed their idol, as it was borne down the stream, but were soon
quieted when they saw that the statue had no power to help itself.

And now Vladimir, being surrounded and supported by believers in his own
domestic circle, and encouraged by seeing that his boyars and suite were
prepared and ready to embrace the faith, made a proclamation to the
people, "That whoever, on the morrow, should not repair to the river,
whether rich or poor, he should hold him for his enemy." At the call of
their respected lord all the multitude of the citizens in troops, with
their wives and children, flocked to the Dnieper; and without any manner
of opposition received holy baptism as a nation from the Greek bishops
and priests. Nestor draws a touching picture of this baptism of a whole
people at once: "Some stood in the water up to their necks, others up to
their breasts, holding their young children in their arms; the priests
read the prayers from the shore, naming at once whole companies by the
same name." He who was the means of thus bringing them to salvation,
filled with a transport of joy at the affecting sight, cried out to the
Lord, offering and commending into his hands himself and his people: "O
great God! who hast made heaven and earth, look down upon these thy new
people. Grant them, O Lord, to know thee the true God, as thou ha