Catherine of Bulgaria

Catherine of Bulgaria (bulgar: Ekaterina) was Empress-consort to Byzantine emperor Isaac I Komnenos. She was daughter of Ivan Vladislav of Bulgaria and his wife Maria, sister of Presian II of Bulgaria and Alusian of Bulgaria. Catherine was also a paternal aunt of Maria of Bulgaria.

Catherine was a daughter of Ivan Vladislav (reigned 1015–18), the last Tsar of Bulgaria. After he became emperor, Isaac raised her to Augusta.

Isaac became Byzantine Emperor in 1057. She served as his consort for two years before Isaac was seized with an illness. He came to believe it was mortal and the matter of his succession was set at the court.

The Chronographia by Michael Psellos describes her role in the abdication of her husband as follows:

"The empress—a most remarkable woman, descended from a very noble family, foremost in works of piety—and her daughter by Isaac, herself a beautiful girl, not only at the time when her hair was cut early in her life but even after tonsuration, her simple robes showing off to advantage the warmth of her complexion and the gold-red of her hair, these two women, and the emperor's brother, and his nephew, formed a circle round his bed, giving him their last messages and shedding tears of farewell. They exhorted him to go at once to the Great Palace, so that there he might make any decisions that were necessary. They were anxious, too, lest the family should fall on evil times at his death: they might lose the fortunate status they then held as the emperor's kinsfolk. So Isaac made ready to leave. During these preparations there came to him, none too soon, the High Priest of Saint Sophia, offering spiritual advice and all kinds of consolation."

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