Research Notes:

Zonaras records that "Bulgaricis quatuor filii, David, Moses, Aaron et Samuel" encouraged the Bulgarians to revolt against Byzantine control. Cedrenus records that "Davidus, Moses, Aaron et Samuelis, filii cuiusdam in Bulgaria largiter potentis comitis" rebelled against Byzantium after the death of Tsar Peter. Samuil, later Tsar of Bulgaria, names "my father, my mother, my brother…Nicolas…--- and David" in a monument erected in [992/93]. Adontz highlights two spurious charters, fabricated in the 16th and late 18th/early 19th centuries respectively, from which it was wrongly deduced by some historians that Samuil was the son of Sišman. Zonaras records that "quatuor fratribus Davidi, Mosi, Aaroni et Samueli…qui Comitopoli appellabantur" defeated the Byzantine forces. He conquered Thessaly in 986, defeated a Byzantine army at Sardika [Sofija] and reconquered the territory of the original Bulgarian state as well as the region of Thessaloniki, after which he conquered Durazzo in [996]. In 997, he conquered Duklja, Trebinje and Zahumlje, and reduced Bosnia and Raška [Serbia] to vassals of Bulgaria.

He was crowned SAMUIL Tsar of the Bulgarians in 997, with his capital at Prespa. He moved his capital to Ochrida, where he restored the Bulgarian Patriarch Damian. In [1000/1001], Byzantium under Emperor Basileios II launched a counter-offensive against Bulgaria, and recaptured Sardika (1001), Macedonia, Thessaly, Vidin and Skoplje (1004), and Durazzo (1005), the last following the betrayal by Samuil's son-in-law. Samuil's army was crushed in Jul 1014 at Clidion, near Strymon, although Tsar Samuil escaped to Prilep where he died soon after. Cedrenus records this defeat 20 Jul "indictione 12" and Samuil´s escape to "castellum Prilapum" where he died two days later. Lupus Protospatarius records that "Samuel rex" died in 1015 and was succeeded by his son. ¹