Basil's reign was troubled by two revolts led by Bardas Sclerus, brother-in-law of the late emperor John I Tzimisces, the first in 979 and the second in 986–9, both of which were put down. Basil was aided in the second of these struggles by Prince Vladimir of Kiev, to whom he gave his sister Anna in marriage, thus establishing the first dynastic links between Byzantium and Russia. Vladimir sent a fleet to Constantinople early in 989 with a force of 8,000 Varangarians, Russianized Norsemen who afterwards formed the emperor's bodyguard. The Varangarian guard continued in existence until the late
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