Miroslava ( bg, Мирослава) was one of the daughters of tsar

Samuil of Bulgaria Samuel (also Samuil; bg, Самуил, ; mk, Самоил/Самуил, ; Old Church Slavonic: Самоилъ; died October 6, 1014) was the Tsar (''Emperor'') of the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 6 October 1014. From 977 to 997, he was a ...

and Agatha. Princess Miroslava fell in love with the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

noble captive

Ashot Taronites Ashot Taronites ( gr, Ἀσώτιος Ταρωνίτης, Asōtios Tarōnitēs; hy, Աշոտ, Ašot; ) was a Byzantine nobleman. Captured by the Bulgarians in 995, he was released in 996 and married to Miroslava, daughter of Tsar Samuel of Bulgar ...

, who was of

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

origin, and threatened to commit suicide if she was not allowed to marry him. Samuel conceded and appointed Ashot governor of Dyrrhachium. Later Ashot made contact with the local Byzantines and the influential

John Chryselios John Chryselios ( el, ) was a provincial magnate in late 10th-century Dyrrhachium, and the father-in-law of Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria (). Biography Bulgarian in origin, Chryselios was the "leading man" (''proteuon'') of Dyrrhachium. According to an ...

, Samuel's father-in-law. Ashot and Miroslava boarded one of the Byzantine ships that were beleaguering the town and fled to Constantinople, where the Emperor

Basil II Basil II Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος ;) and, most often, the Purple-born ( gr, ὁ πορφυρογέννητος, translit=ho porphyrogennetos).. 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar S ...

granted Ashot the title of ''

magistros The ''magister officiorum'' (Latin literally for "Master of Offices", in gr, μάγιστρος τῶν ὀφφικίων, magistros tōn offikiōn) was one of the most senior administrative officials in the Later Roman Empire and the early centu ...

'' and Miroslava, the title of ''

zoste patrikia ''Zōstē patrikía'' ( gr, ζωστὴ πατρικία) was a Byzantine court title reserved exclusively for the woman who was the chief attendant and assistant to the Empress. A very high title, its holder ranked as the first woman after the Emp ...

'' (

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

Sources

10th-century births 11th-century deaths 10th-century Bulgarian people 11th-century Bulgarian people 10th-century Bulgarian women 11th-century Bulgarian women Bulgarian princesses Bulgarian people of Armenian descent 11th-century Byzantine people 11th-century Byzantine women Cometopuli dynasty Ladies-in-waiting {{europe-royal-stub Daughters of emperors