Roman I of Bulgaria
| Roman | |
|---|---|
| Еmperor of Bulgaria | |
 |
|
| Reign | 977–991 (997) |
| Predecessor | Boris II |
| Successor | Samuil |
| Born | early 930s |
| Died | 997 Constantinople |
| Spouse | Unknown |
| Issue | None |
| House | Krum's dynasty |
| Father | Peter I |
| Mother | Irene Lekapene |
Roman (Bulgarian: Роман; 930s–997) was emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria from 977 to 991, being in Byzantine captivity thereafter still claiming the title.
Roman was the second surviving son of Emperor Peter I of Bulgaria by his marriage with Maria (renamed Eirene) Lekapene, the granddaughter of the Byzantine Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos. It is possible that he had the double name Roman-Simeon, but this may be due to confusion with another man in the sources. He was born around 930, and had probably visited Constantinople with 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, where Boris II succeeded 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 Prince Sviatoslav I of Kiev and then in those of the Byzantine Emperor John 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 the Cometopuli into Byzantine possessions in Macedonia led 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 II was 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.
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