Prince Oleg Beseiges Konstantinoupolis, 907
Kiev became Varangian Prince Oleg's capital partly because it was his city closest to the Eastern Roman Empire, which he raided. He attacked the empire's captial, Konstantinoupolis ("Constantinople", also called "Tsargrad", Tsar's City, by the Rus, tsar being the Rus word for Ceasar, emperor). Oleg also made trade arrangements with the empire, of mutual benefit. Hanging a shield on the city walls, a Scandinavian practice, likely symbolized Oleg's agreement to a peace treaty with the empire. Eastern Roman Emperors would later create their own Varangian Guard, initially from the Rus and Scandinavians, but later from Anglo-Saxons and other Germanic peoples.