p With the acceptance of Christianity, as we mentioned earlier, Kiev began a period of intensive translation of literature which reached its zenith in the 1030’s and 1040’s..

Works to be translated were chosen according to the needs of the feudal rulers, above all the task of consolidating the new Christian religion and morality. As a result religious literature predominated over secular texts. Nevertheless Russian translators did not pass over those secular tales whose ideas and artistic form expressed the spirit of the age. Old Russian scribes translated many Greek military, historical and didactic tales in order to affirm secular ideals propagandised by the originals. They did not aim at an exact reproduction of 136 the Greek texts, but strove to bring them as close as possible to works that would serve the needs of their age and milieu. Accordingly translated works were subjected to periodic editing (each newly edited text being known as a “redaction”—TV.).