Smerds in Kievan Rus' were peasants, who had been gradually losing their freedom (partially or completely) and whose legal status had differed from group to group. Unlike the slaves, the Smerds had their own property and had to pay fines for their delinquencies. Legally, the Smerds never possessed full rights; the killing of a Smerd was punished by the same fine as the killing of a kholop. The property of the deceased was inherited by the knyaz. Russkaya Pravda forbade torturing the Smerds during court examination without the consent of the knyaz.
During the 12th and the 13th centuries the Smerds were mentioned in a number of sources, narrating about the events in Halych-Volynia and Novgorod. It appears that during this period the term Smerd encompassed the whole rural population of a given region. Sources of the 14th and 15th centuries tell about the Smerds of Novgorod and Pskov as peasants-proprietors, who possessed lands collectively (communes) or individually and had the right to freely alienate their own allotments. However, their personal freedom was limited: they were forbidden to seek for a new master or princely patronage. The knyaz could not accept complaints from the Smerds on their master. Also, the Smerds had to perform certain duties called dani or raboty (дани, работы, or tributes, assignments) to the benefit of the city as a collective feudal master.
It is variously said that she was Cassandane, a Persian princess, Amytis, a Median princess, or Nititis, a daughter of Apries king of Egypt.
Shortly after this, Cambyses heard that a certain Magian, who claimed to be his brother Smerdes whom he had secretly put to death, had set himself up as king of Persia, and that almost the whole of his Asiatic dominions had acknowledged him as king.
With the fragments of his army he started toward Persia to attack the usurper, but on the way was killed by a wound inflicted by himself, it is uncertain whether by accident or with intention.
However, Ctesias writes, that Bagabates the eunuch and Artasyras an Hyrcanian, who were with Cambyses in Egypt and of great authority under him took counsel while Cambyses was still living.
However, Herodotus says, that 8 months after Cambyses' death, the matter was brought first to light by the cunning of Otanes the son of Pharnaspes and later more fully explained by Prexaspes.
When Prexaspes was in a certain tower, he called the people to him and from there declared to them that Cambyses ordered him to murder his brother Smerdes, the son of Cyrus and that they were being ruled by the Magi.
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