Who were the Varangians?
Q: Who were the Varangians?
A: The Varangians were a group of Vikings who were given the name by Greeks and East Slavs.
Q: When did they rule the medieval state of Rus'?
A: The Varangians ruled the medieval state of Rus' between the 9th and 11th centuries.
Q: How did they become personal bodyguards for Byzantine Emperors?
A: The Varangians formed the Byzantine Varangian Guard, which became their role as personal bodyguards for Byzantine Emperors.
Q: What was Kievan Rus'?
A: Kievan Rus' was a state that was later ruled by Ruriks descendants after Oleg conquered Kiev in 882.
Q: What activities did they do?
A: The Varangians engaged in trade, piracy, and mercenary activities. They moved around using river systems and portages of Gardariki, which was an area north of the Black Sea.
Q: Why did they start wars with Byzantium?
A: The Varangians wanted to gain access to riches from Constantinople so they started a number of wars with Byzantium known as Rus'-Byzantine Wars.
Q: How were most of them converted from paganism? A: Most of them were converted from paganism into Orthodox Christianity during their time in both Byzantium and Eastern Europe.
