Roman and Byzantine Motives in Skazanie o knjazjach vladimirskich (The Tale of the Princes of Vladimir)
2017
Abstract
Vasily III and to a greater degree Ivan the Terrible based their policies on a historical work known as The Tale of the Princes of Vladimir. Its author attempted to find a connection between ruling dynasty of Rurikids and Byzantine and ancient Roman Empire, although in a completely different context than monk Philotheus of Pskov from in the idea of eternal Moscow as the third Rome.
According to his concept was Rurik a descendant of Prus, a relative of Roman Emperor Octavianus Augustus. Moreover Vladimir II Monomakh was said to obtain the insignia of imperial power from Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomakhos, who also bid him to have himself be crowned by metropolitan as tsar.