Zonaras records that "fratrem Aaronem cum omni familia" was killed by Samuil, with the exception of "uno…filio…Joannes Sphandosthlavus". Lupus Protospatarius records that "Samuel rex" died in 1015 and was succeeded by his son, who was killed in 1016 by "suo consobrino filio Aronis" who reigned in his place. Zonaras records that "Gabrielem filium, qui et Romanus dicebatur" succeeded Samuil in "principatu Bulgarorum" but one year later was killed by "frater patruelis, Aaronis filius Uladisthlavus Joannis". Cedrenus records that "filius Gabrielus qui et Romanus dicebatur" succeeded Samuil but was poisoned by "Joanne, qui et Bladisthlabus, filio Aaronis" after ruling for one year.
He succeeded in 1015 as IVAN VLADISLAV Tsar of the Bulgarians. He reconquered Duklja in 1016 after murdering Knez Ivan Vladimir. Cedrenus records that "Thessalonicensium duce Constantino Diogene" defeated "Joannis et eius patruelem" 9 Jan "indictione 15" and that Ivan was killed while attempting to recapture Durazzo. Cedrenus records that "frater et filius…Cracræ" delivered Adrianople to Emperor Basileios and that they and "Cracram" were created patrikios, that "Dragomuzus" yielded "Strumpitzam" and was made patrikios, and that "Bogdanus interiorum castellorum dominus" submitted and was also created patrikios, while "Davidum patricium Arianitum" left "Scopia" and retired to "castella Stypeium et Prosacum", and that the emperor appointed "Nicephoro patricio Pegonita" as governor of Durazzo. The Chronicle of Matthew of Edessa records that “en l’année 460 [19 Mar 1011/17 Mar 1012]” Emperor Basileios II defeated the Bulgarians and poisoned “le vaillant Alusianus, leur souverain” and took his wife and children to Constantinople, which would appear to refer more probably to the death of Tsar Ivan Vladislav than to his son Alusian. Cedrenus records that Emperor Basileios entered "Ionium…apud Eilisson castellum…caput…totius Bulgariæ", appointed "Eustathium patricium Daphnomelum" as governor, and received the submission of "Joannis Bladisthlabi viduam cum filiis tribus et sex filiabus et duas filias Radomeri, filii Samueli, ac filios quinque" (of whom one had been blinded by "Joanne"). Bulgaria was divided into three themes. 1
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