Roman of Bulgaria

Roman(Bulgarian:Роман;930s–997) was emperor (tsar) ofBulgariafrom 977 to 991, being in Byzantine captivity thereafter still claiming the title.

Roman
Emperor of Bulgaria
Reign	977–991 (997)
Predecessor	Boris II
Successor	Samuel of Bulgaria
Born	early 930s
Died	997 Constantinople
House	Krum's dynasty
Father	Peter I
Mother	Irene Lekapene

Reign

Roman was the second surviving son of EmperorPeter I of Bulgariaby his marriage withMaria(renamed Eirene) Lekapene, the granddaughter of theByzantine EmperorRomanos I Lekapenos.It is possible that he had the double nameRoman-Simeon,but this may be due to confusion with another man in the sources. He was born around 930, and had probably visitedConstantinoplewith his mother and older brothers soon after 931.

We know nothing about Roman’s life until 968, when he joined his older brother Boris in Constantinople to negotiate a peace agreement between Bulgaria and Byzantium, during which they apparently served as honorary hostages at the Byzantine court. On their father’s abdication in 969, Boris and Roman returned to Bulgaria, whereBoris IIsucceeded as emperor. Roman may have been proclaimed co-emperor in accordance with Byzantine usage, but the evidence for that is vague.

In Bulgaria Roman probably shared his brother’s destiny, becoming first a pawn in the hands of PrinceSviatoslav I of Kievand then in those of the Byzantine EmperorJohn I Tzimiskes.After the latter’s victory in 971, Roman was taken to Constantinople together with his brother’s family. To ensure that the Bulgarian dynasty would die out (Boris II apparently had only daughters), the Byzantine emperor had Roman castrated.Boris and Roman remained in honorary captivity at the imperial palace until after the death of the emperor in 976.

At this point the raids of theCometopuliinto Byzantine possessions inMacedonialed to a Byzantine stratagem intended to divide the leadership of the still-unconquered Bulgarian lands in the west. Temporarily jailed, Boris and Roman were allowed to escape in 977. During their attempt to cross the Bulgarian border,Boris IIwas taken for an enemy and killed by a guard. Roman managed to identify himself to the Bulgarian patrols, and was duly recognized by the Bulgarians as emperor.

Although Roman was acknowledged as the official Bulgarian ruler, most of the military matters were left in the hands ofSamuil,who was the youngest brother of theCometopuli dynasty,and Roman devoted the end of his life to church deeds, much as his father Peter had. During one of his invasions of Bulgaria, the Byzantine EmperorBasil IIsucceeded in capturing Roman in 991. Roman remained in Byzantine captivity until his death in 997, and it was only then that Samuel took the Bulgarian imperial title. Such, at least, is the sequence of events reported by the trustworthy historianYahya of Antioch.

According to the later testimony of the Byzantine chroniclerJohn Skylitzes,in 1004Skopjewas surrendered to Basil II by its governor Roman Simeon, who may have been mistaken for Emperor Roman in the text. Roman-Simeon received the title ofpatrikiosand was named military governor orstrategosof the theme ofAbydos.

Sources

• Fine, John V. A. Jr.(1991) [1983].The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century.Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.ISBN0-472-08149-7.
• Jordan Andreev, Ivan Lazarov, Plamen Pavlov,Кой кой е в средновековна България,Sofia 1999.
• (primary source) John Skylitzes II, 455, 13
• Tougher, Shaun (2008).The Eunuch in Byzantine History and Society.Routledge.
• Pavlov, P. Boris i Roman(bulg.)