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Samuel (Samuil) of Bulgaria

1014

About

Samuel (who spelt Samuil) of Bulgaria was Tsar (Emperor) of the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 6 October 1014. From 977 to 997, he was a General under Emperor Roman I of Bulgaria, and co-ruled with him. As Samuel struggled to preserve his country's independence from the Byzantine Empire, his rule was characterized by constant warfare against the Byzantines and their equally ambitious ruler Basil II. Samuel was the fourth and youngest son of Count Nicholas, a Bulgarian noble. His mother was Rhipsime of Armenia. Samuel's wife was called Agatha, and was the daughter of the magnate of Dyrrhachium John Chryselios. Only two of Samuel's and Agatha's children are definitely known by name: Samuel's heir Gavril Radomir, and Miroslava. Two further, unnamed daughters, are mentioned after the Bulgarian surrender in 1018, while Samuel is also recorded as having had a bastard son. Samuel's grave was found in 1965 by Greek Professor Nikolaos Moutsopoulos in the Church of St Achillios on the eponymous island in Lake Prespa. Samuel had built the church for the relics of the saint of the same name. What is thought to have been the Coat of Arms of the House of Cometopuli, two perched parrots, was embroidered on his funeral garment. His remains are kept in the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, but according to a recent agreement, they may be returned to Bulgaria and buried in the SS. Forty Martyrs Church in Veliko Tarnovo, to rest with the remains of Emperors Kaloyan and Michael Shishman. Samuel's face was reconstructed to restore the appearance of the 70-year-old Bulgarian ruler. According to the reconstruction, he was a sharp-faced man, bald-headed, with a white beard and moustache.