Aron of Bulgaria facts for kids

Aron (Bulgarian: Арон; died June 14, 976) was a Bulgarian noble. He was the brother of Emperor Samuel of Bulgaria and the third son of Count Nicholas.

After the eastern parts of Bulgaria were taken by the Byzantine Empire in 971, Aron and his three brothers, David, Moses, and Samuel, kept fighting in the west. They were known as the Cometopuli. They ruled Bulgaria together because the true kings, Boris II and Roman, were held captive in Constantinople. Aron's home was in Serdica (which is now Sofia). This city was on the main road between Constantinople and Western Europe. His job was to protect the area from enemies and attack Byzantine lands in Thrace.

Aron's Death

In 976, the Bulgarians started a big war against the Byzantine Empire. The two oldest brothers, David and Moses, died during this time. But the Bulgarians won many battles and even got back north-eastern Bulgaria.

At the same time, the Byzantine Emperor Basil II was fighting both the Bulgarians and a dangerous rebellion led by Bardas Skleros. So, he decided to use a common Byzantine tactic: secret plots.

Basil II focused on Aron. Aron was a threat because his home was close to Thrace. Also, Aron wanted to rule Bulgaria all by himself. This made Basil think that a peace deal would be good for both of them. Aron asked to marry the Emperor's sister. Basil agreed, but he tried to trick Aron. He sent someone else's wife and a bishop instead. However, the trick was found out, and the bishop was killed. Still, the talks went on.

Eventually, Samuel found out about these secret talks. On June 14, 976, Aron and almost all of his family were killed near what is now Dupnitsa. Only his oldest son, Ivan Vladislav, was saved. This happened because Samuel's son, Gavril Radomir, stepped in to help him. Many years later, Ivan Vladislav killed Gavril Radomir. He did this to get revenge for his family's deaths. After that, Ivan Vladislav took the throne and became the Emperor of Bulgaria.

Family Tree

Another Idea About Aron's Family

There is another idea about where Aron came from. Some believe that Simeon I of Bulgaria had several children. One of them was Ivan, who married an Armenian woman in Caesarea. According to this idea, Aron and his brother Moses were Ivan's sons.