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Lecapenus arranged a defense of [[Constantinople]] by having 15 retired ships fitted out with throwers of [[Greek fire]] fore and aft. Igor, wishing to capture these Greek vessels and their crews but unaware of the fire-throwers, had his fleet surround them. Then, at an instant, the Greek-fire was hurled through tubes upon the Rus' and their allies; [[Liudprand of Cremona]] wrote: "The Rus', seeing the flames, jumped overboard, preferring water to fire. Some sank, weighed down by the weight of their breastplates and helmets; others caught fire." The captured Rus' were [[Decapitation|beheaded]].<ref> Liutprand of Cremona, ''Antapodosis'' (Tit for Tat), Book 5, Chapter 15, in ''The Works of Liutprand of Cremona'', F. A. Wright, ed. and trans., (London: George A. Routledge and Sons, 1930), pp. 185-186.</ref>
The Byzantines thus managed to dispel the Rus' fleet but not to prevent the pagans from pillaging the hinterland of Constantinople, venturing as far south as [[Nicomedia]]. Many atrocities were reported: the
In September, [[John Kourkouas]] and [[Bardas Phokas the Elder|Bardas Phokas]], two leading generals, speedily returned to the capital, anxious to repel the invaders. The Kievans promptly transferred their operations to [[Thrace]], moving their fleet there. When they were about to retreat, laden with trophies, the Byzantine navy under Theophanes fell upon them. Greek sources report that the Rus' lost their whole fleet in this surprise attack, so that only a handful of boats returned to their bases in the [[Crimea]]. The captured prisoners were taken to the capital and beheaded. Khazar sources add that the [[Caspian expeditions of the Rus|Rus' leader managed to escape]] to the [[Caspian Sea]], where he met his death fighting the Arabs.
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