- Simeon I
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known as Simeon the Greatborn 864/865died May 27, 927Tsar of the first Bulgarian empire (925–927).The son of Boris I, he succeeded his father in 893 after the short intervening reign (889–893) of his dissolute elder brother, Vladimir. Hoping to gain the imperial throne, he fought five wars with the Byzantine Empire between 894 and 923. He adopted the title "Tsar of All the Bulgarians" in 925. He extended his power over southern Macedonia, southern Albania, and Serbia but probably lost Bulgaria's dominion north of the Danube.
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▪ tsar of Bulgarian empirebyname Simeon The Greatborn 864/865died May 27, 927tsar of the first Bulgarian empire (925–927), a warlike sovereign who nevertheless made his court a cultural centre.Educated in Constantinople (now Istanbul), Simeon succeeded his father, Boris I, in 893 after the short intervening reign (889–893) of his dissolute elder brother, Vladimir.His dominant ambition, which was to himself ascend the imperial throne of Byzantium—an aspiration afterward shared by many Bulgarian tsars—led Simeon to embark on many wars with the Byzantine Empire (894, 896, 913, 917, 923). He never took Constantinople, although it was more than once at his mercy; but he took for himself the title of “Tsar of All the Bulgarians” (925) and raised the archbishop of Bulgaria to the rank of a patriarch. In the Balkans he extended the power of Bulgaria over south Macedonia, south Albania, and Serbia, which became his vassal; but Bulgaria's dominion north of the Danube was probably lost during his reign. Simeon was twice married and left four sons, of whom the second, Peter I, succeeded him.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
