Information AboutBoris Ii |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BORIS II OF BULGARIA | |
| 928 births | |
| 977 deaths | |
| bulgarian monarchs | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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Boris was first-born son of Tsar Peter I through his marriage with Maria (Irena), granddaughter of the Byzantine Emperor Romanus I Lecapenus. He was born soon after their marriage in 928 . He frequently visited Constantinople with his mother and their Byzantine entourage. His name was first mentioned in a chronicle describing the events of 968 . Nicephorus II Phocas convinced Tsar Peter I to join his forces against Kievan Rus . The deal was sealed by sending Boris in Constantinople to serve as a hostage? In 970 Tsar Peter died and the emperor allowed Boris to return home and assume the throne. Some chronists claim that the reason for the release of Boris was the revolt of the four brothers David, Moses, Aaron And Samuil . Soon after being crowned, the new Tsar had to deal with the first of many dangers facing Bulgaria during his tragic and ultimately unsuccessful reign. Kievan Rus' Sviatoslav ’s army laid siege to and captured the capital, Great Preslav . Unable to withstand the attack, the Tsar surrendered the capital to the Russians and agreed to join forces with them against Byzantium . In the spring of 970 the combined forces, 30,000 strong, passed through the Balkan Mountains and began their plunder of Thrace. The new Emperor John I Tzimisces fought the new allies and finally on 5 April, 971 he took the Bulgarian capital of Great Preslav. Thus, Tsar Peter’s decision to join the war between Byzantium and Kiev twice cost Bulgaria the fall of the capital. When the capital fell, Tsar Boris II was captured and held prisoner along with his entire family. The chronicles report, “The red bearded Bulgarian Tsar who still displayed his regalia, … was being treated humanely by the Emperor John I and was referred to as an Emperor of all Bulgarians.” John I also had said that, “He did not come to take their freedom, but rather to liberate the Bulgarians.” After the Kievans were repelled beyond the Danube , the victor’s intentions were revealed. John I Tzimisces declared the newly conquered lands as a part of his Empire and installed a governor. Tsar Boris II with his whole family were taken to Constantinople . John I made a spectacular entry into Constantinople. First, riding on the Emperor’s golden chariot entered a famous icon looted from the Bulgarian capital. Next, riding on his horse was John I followed by Boris II in full Tsars regalia walking on foot accompanied by his family. The humiliation was full when, in front of the crowd gathered on the public square, Tsar Boris II was ordered to remove his golden crown and red boots. Later the crown was given to Heliah Sofia as a gift to God for achieving the long standing desire of reclaiming the former lands all the way to Danube. He lived comfortably in Constantinople (as a patricii) until the death of John I (January 976). At the same time the four brothers David, Moses, Aaron and Samuil led the Bulgarians into rebellion. Suspected of encouraging the revolt, Boris was thrown in jail where he spent eight years. In 977 he managed to escape from prison accompanied by his younger brother Roman (who was castrated by the Byzantians), and sped towards the Bulgarian border. When they reached the border, they dismounted and continued by foot through a forest. Boris was ahead of his brother. Upon seeing the two figures dressed in Byzantine attire and sneaking into Bulgarian territory, a border patrol shot Boris II in the chest and killed him. This is the price Boris paid for the shame of surrendering the crown of Krum and Simeon the Great into the hands of the enemy.
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