Tsar Roman

Roman was tsar of Bulgaria from 977 to 997, although he effectively ruled only until 991. He was a son of Tsar Peter I and Irene (Maria) Lekapene, a granddaughter of the Byzantine emperor Romanos I Lekapenos, and a brother of Tsar Boris II. His name was probably Roman-Simeon. In 963, following the deposition of the Byzantine emperor Romanos II, the family ties between the Bulgarian royal family and the Byzantine imperial court were broken.

In 970, after the death of their father Peter I, Roman and his brother Boris returned to Bulgaria. In 971, Preslav and the north-eastern Bulgarian lands were conquered by the Byzantine emperor John I Tzimiskes, and Boris and Roman were again taken to Constantinople. Boris II was castrated, while Roman, who was still unmarried, tried to explain his identity and was taken to Samuel.

After his brother’s death, Roman was recognised as tsar by the Cometopuli. Despite differences in interpretation, the contemporary writers Yahya of Antioch and Stephen of Taron regarded Roman as an actual reigning monarch. Although there are claims that Roman was a eunuch, Professor Plamen Pavlov points out that evidence is lacking and that Roman took part in the Battle of the Gates of Trajan in 986.

In 991, during the Byzantine–Bulgarian war, Roman was captured by Emperor Basil II. He died in prison in 997. After his death, when it became known that Tsar Samuel had also died, Roman was proclaimed the new Bulgarian tsar.