5 – Emperor Symeon I of Bulgaria (864? – 927)
Along with Khan Krum, Symeon was one of the greatest leaders of the First Bulgarian Empire. The empire reached its greatest extent during his reign as he defeated the Byzantines, Serbs, and Magyars during his 34-year reign. Symeon was probably born in 864 and was the third son of Boris I, the leader who Christianized the nation. As he wasn’t the oldest son of the ruler, Symeon wasn’t supposed to be the heir. Instead, he was meant to become a high-ranking cleric and even studied at the University of Constantinople.
His oldest brother Vladimir became emperor when Boris abdicated but made the mistake of trying to reintroduce Paganism. The irate Boris returned to the fold and had Vladimir imprisoned and blinded. It is not known why his second son Gavril wasn’t selected as the new leader. Boris chose Symeon and it proved to be an excellent decision almost from the moment he sat on the throne in 893.
When Emperor Leo VI the Wise of the Byzantine Empire made the very unwise move of moving the marketplace for Bulgar goods to Thessaloniki where they were heavily taxed, Bulgarian merchants appealed to Symeon for help. He responded by invading the Byzantine Empire in 894. After the defeat against Magyar forces who were aiding the Byzantines, Symeon signed an armistice with the enemy in 895. Within a year however, Symeon attacked again and went directly for Constantinople. He destroyed a Byzantine army at the Battle of Bulagrophygon and was only prevented from capturing the enemy’s capital when Leo VI desperately armed Arab captives who forced the Bulgarians back.
Another peace treaty was signed but Symeon regularly violated it. He captured Adrianople in 914 and three years later, at the Battle of Acheloos, he annihilated the Byzantines in what one of the largest battles of the medieval era. The Byzantines lost up to 60,000 men in a single day and were forced to sign yet another treaty. Symeon entered Constantinople and for the second time, was crowned the Tsar of all Bulgarians and Romans. However, he was frustrated because the Byzantines would not recognize him as their emperor so he launched yet another invasion in 920.
By 922, Symeon had once again captured Adrianople. His army also seized Bizye, won a battle at Pigae and burned a lot of the Golden Horn. He met with the Byzantine Emperor Romanos in 924 and arranged a truce whereby Byzantium would pay an annual tax but would be given some cities on the coast of the Black Sea. Symeon was preparing for yet another Byzantine invasion when he died of heart failure in May 927. His death was a relief to the Byzantine Empire because during his reign, Symeon had brought it to its knees.