8 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 69 



yellow-brown (Tungusic or Mongolic) racial elements. All were 

 more or less nomadic and destructive, bent on spoliation, and on 

 penetration toward the richer more southern and central parts of 

 Europe, rather than on the conquest of Russia and the establishment 

 there of a permanent new home ; though some, such as the Polovtsi, 

 Pechenegs, and others, became for a greater or less period settled 

 in Russian territory before they disappeared. Taken collectively, 

 these invasions resulted in a great retardation of the settlement of 

 the southern parts of Russia by the Slav people, as well as in 

 seriously hindering the cultural advance of the Russians ; but the 

 hordes did not colonize or mix readily, except through captives, and 

 while some remnants of them and mixtures were doubtless left 

 scattered over the territory, they made no great impression on the 

 eventual Russian population. 



Meanwhile, since as early as the times of Herodotus, we began to 

 hear of tribes such as the " Budini," which reached far eastward in 

 Russia, and may have been Slavonic. In the fourth century, accord- 

 ing to Jordanes, 1 the historian of the Goths, Hermanric conquered the 

 Yeneti, or Vends, which was the earlier generic name for the Slavs, 

 the term " Slav " not appearing even in the Byzantine chronicles 

 until after the close of the fifth century. In Jordanes' time, or 

 about the middle of the sixth century, the "populous race of the 

 Yeneti dwell near the left ridge of the Alps (Carpathians) which 

 inclines toward the north and beginning at the source of the Vistula, 

 occupying a great expanse of land. Though their names are now 

 dispersed amid various clans and places, yet they are chiefly called 

 Sclaveni and Antes. The abode of the Sclaveni extends from the 

 city of Noviodunum and the lake called Mursianus to the Danaster, 

 and northward along the Vistula. The Antes, who are the bravest 

 of these peoples dwelling in the curve of the sea of Pontus, spread 

 from the Danaster to the Danaper, rivers that are many days' 

 journey apart." In another part of the work of the same author 

 we read that these new people " though off-shoots from one stock, 

 have now three names, that is, Yeneti, Antes and Sclaveni." And 

 " they now rage in war far and wide, in punishment for our («. e., 

 Goth) sins," though once " all were obedient to Hermanric's com- 

 mands." 



During the ninth and tenth centuries many Slav settlements or 

 outposts are mentioned in Russia as far north already as the Tchoud 



1 Mierow's version, Princeton, i( 



