Simeon I the Great

At a glance

Source: Wikipedia: Simeon I of Bulgaria¹

Early life

Simeon was born in 864 or 865, the third son of Boris I, who had Christianised Bulgaria. His father intended him for a senior church role and sent him to Constantinople for theological education. Simeon spent about a decade there, studying Greek rhetoric and other subjects. Around 888, he returned to Bulgaria and worked on translating religious texts at the royal monastery of Preslav.¹

After Boris’s eldest son, Vladimir, attempted to restore paganism, Boris imprisoned and blinded him. An assembly at Preslav appointed Simeon ruler in 893, declared Bulgarian the language of state and church, and moved the capital from Pliska to Preslav. Simeon had previously been intended for a clerical career, rather than the throne.¹

Reign and wars

Simeon’s reign included repeated conflicts with Byzantium and campaigns against the Magyars and Serbs. In 896, he defeated the Magyars with Pecheneg support. In 917, Bulgarian forces defeated a Byzantine army at the Battle of Achelous, then won another engagement near Constantinople. These campaigns helped extend Bulgaria’s territory between the Aegean, Adriatic and Black seas.¹

In 913, Patriarch Nicholas of Constantinople recognised Simeon as Emperor of the Bulgarians, but this recognition was later rejected by Zoe, the mother of the young Byzantine emperor. Simeon continued to seek recognition and to campaign against Byzantium. He died in Preslav on 27 May 927 and was succeeded by his son Peter I.¹

Culture and legacy

During Simeon’s rule, Bulgaria became a literary and spiritual centre of Slavic Europe. The Preslav and Ohrid literary schools were active, and the Cyrillic alphabet was developed at Preslav in the 890s. Scholars translated Christian works and chronicles into Bulgarian, while writers also produced original religious and secular texts.¹

Preslav developed into a cultural and religious centre, with churches, monasteries, a royal palace and the Golden Church. Simeon’s reign is known as the Golden Age of Bulgarian culture. His name has also been used for a Bulgarian rakija brand and Simeon Peak on Livingston Island. In a 2007 television programme, he placed fourth among the greatest Bulgarians in a public vote.¹