Ivan Vladislav of Bulgaria
Ivan Vladislav ruled as emperor (
tsar) of
Bulgaria from August or September
1015 to February
1018. The year of his birth is unknown, but he was born at least about a decade before
987.
Ivan Vladislav was the son of Aron, the brother of Emperor
Samuel (Samuil) of Bulgaria. In
987 Samuel ordered his brother Aron executed for treason together with his entire family. The massacre was survived only by Aron's son Ivan Vladislav, who was saved through the intercession of his cousin, Samuel's son
Gabriel Radomir.
What happened with Ivan Vladislav during the subsequent decades is unknown, but in
1015 he was induced by Byzantine agents to murder his cousin Gabriel Radomir while the latter was hunting near Ostrovo (Arnissa) and seized the Bulgarian throne. Ivan Vladislav took steps to ensure his positions against potential rivals, and in
1016 lured and murdered Prince
Vladimir of Zeta, who was married to Gabriel Radomir's sister Theodora (Kosara).
Although Ivan Vladislav had entered into negotiations with the Byzantine Emperor
Basil II, he quickly began to follow the determined policy of his predecessors to resist the ongoing Byzantine conquest. Ivan Vladislav restored the fortifications of
Bitola in
1015 and survived an assassination plot undertaken by Byzantine agents. Although the Byzantines sacked
Ohrid, they failed to take
Pernik and received troubling intelligence that Ivan Vladislav was attempting to induce the
Pechenegs to come to his aid, following up the general practice of his predecessors.
While Byzantine armies had penetrated deep into Bulgaria in
1016, Ivan Vladislav was able to rally his forces and commenced a siege of
Durazzo in the winter of
1018. During a battle in front of the city, Ivan Vladislav was killed. After his death much of the Bulgarian nobility and court, including his widow Marija, submitted to the advancing Basil II in exchange of guarantees for the preservation of their lives, status, and property. A faction of the nobles and the army rallied around Ivan Vladislav's eldest sons and continued to resist for several months until it was forced to submit.
By his wife Marija, Ivan Vladislav had several children, including:#
Presian II, who briefly succeeded as emperor of Bulgaria 1018# Aron, Byzantine general#
Alusian, who was briefly emperor of Bulgaria in 1041# Troian (Trojan). Father of
Maria of Bulgaria, who married
Andronikos Doukas. # Catherine (Ekaterina), who married the future Byzantine Emperor
Isaac I Komnenos*
Detailed List of Bulgarian Rulers* John V.A. Fine Jr.,
The Early Medieval Balkans, Ann Arbor, 1983.
See also
*
History of Bulgaria*
Comitopuli dynasty*
Bitola inscription
