Digenis Akritas

(in Russian, Devgenievo deianie, “Digenis’ Deed”), an Old Russian translated narrative. The translation or adaptation of the Greek original, a tenth-century Byzantine poem that has not survived, was done no later than the 12th or 13th century. Tales from the Byzantine heroic epic about the struggle of the Greeks with the Saracens and the exploits of Digenis Akritas are the basic subject of the poem. Characteristic of the style of the Russian text are elements of the oral poetic tradition and the military narrative style of Kievan Rus’. The medieval idea of the perfect hero is embodied in Digenis. The oldest extant text, from the 16th century, was found in the same collection as The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.