Simeon the Great
Simeon (I) the Great (?-927), a ruler of Bulgaria (893–927). During his reign, Bulgarian territory was expanded from the Black Sea to the Adriatic. His first campaign, 894–97, was a successful war against the Byzantine Empire, which was forced to pay a yearly tribute to Bulgaria. Simeon's armies then overran Macedonia, Albania, and Thrace, and finally Serbia.
Simeon was educated in Constantinople. He admired Greek culture and encouraged the translation of Greek literature into Slavic. He made the Bulgarian church independent of the patriarch in Constantinople. Simeon was the first Bulgarian ruler to take the title czar.