UNKNOWN Никола Nikola

Abt 0915 - Bef 0969  (< 53 years)

• Name	UNKNOWN Никола Nikola
  Birth	Abt 0915	Armenia
  Gender	Male
  Death	Bef 0969
  Notes	Nikola (Nikolaos, or Nicholas or Никола in modern Bulgarian) and his wife Rypsimia are named in two inscriptions from the late 10th and early 11th centuries. In the Samuil's Inscription dated to about 992 or 993 and written on a marble slab (tombstone?) at the order of their son Samuel Comitopuli, later Tsar of Bulgaria, commemorating his parents and his brother David. The Bitola inscription is believed to date from about circa 1015 and this time written at the command of Tsar Ivan Vladislav of Bulgaria, "grandson of the pious Nikola and Ripsimia, son of Aaron, who was brother of Samuil, Tsar of Bulgaria". Little else is known about Nikola or his ancestry and the various theories often conflict. He is thought by some to be Armenian, and brought to Macedonia as a mercenary by the Byzantine Emperor Basilieos to fight the Bulgarian troops but then he defected. However if Nikola was his original first name and not one adopted later, it is not an Armenian name, though the name of his wife; Ripsimia (or Ripsimija) is Armenian.[1] Other theories are that he is from a Slavonic tribe, or Bulgarian.[2] He appears to have been a Komit (local ruler) in Bulgaria but again there are no indications as to where, and some possibilities include Sredets, or the area around Lake Ohrid and Prespa Lakes.[2] Marriage and children As mentioned above, his wife's name was Ripsimia (Rimsimija or Ripsime), which is an Armenian name. However it seems highly unlikely that she was the daughter of Ashot II Bagratuni, King of Armenia as given in the English Wikipedia article. (See the discussion about this on the soc.genealogy.medieval site) There is also some dispute over whether all four of the sons known as the Cometopuli or Kometopouloi, (Κομητόπουλοι in Byzantine Greek, or комитопулите in Bulgarian) were the sons of Nikola. Sometimes Aron (Aaron) and Moisei (Moses) are thought to be the sons of an unidentified Bulgarian, perhaps still with Ripsamia, as their mother.[3] but the Bitola inscription referred to above would seem to discount this theory. Based on the Samuil inscription, Samuil and David are thought to definitely be the sons of Nikola and Ripsimia. See Cawley's database for more discussion on this issue. Death Nikola isn't mentioned in any of the sources as being involved in any of the events in 969-971 surrounding the invasion of Bulgaria by first the Russians, and then the Byzantines and the consequent insurrection led by his sons in 976, and it is thought that he probably died before these took place.[2] Research Notes Disputed Ancestry Some online genealogies such as FabPedigree connect Nikola to the older Bulgarian line, but this is not supported by any medieval sources, and would surely have been noted by his descendants in the various inscriptions if it had been true. Sources ↑ Cawley, Charles. 'Bulgaria: Chapter 1C-Tsars of the Bulgarians 997-1018 and 1040-1041 (Kometopouloi)' version 3.1-23 March 2016 in Medieval Lands: A prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families. Foundation of Medieval Genealogy http://fmg.ac/ : viewed 5 July 2017. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Editors of Wikipedia, "Nicolas (commit)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (Bulgarian version), https://bg.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%D0%9D%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B0_(%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82) : viewed 5 July 2017. ↑ Schwennicke, Detlev, (ed.). 1984. Europäische Stammtafeln, Neue folge. Band II - Die ausserdeutschen Staaten: Die regierenden Häuser der übrigen Staaten Europas, Marburg : J.A. Stargardt. Tafel 168- Die Zaren des ersten Bulgarischen Kaiserreiches in Ochrida. See also: Wikipedia contributors, "Nicholas (komes)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicholas_(komes)&oldid=787673494 (accessed 5 July 2017)
  Person ID	I59441	Freeman-Smith
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026

  
  

  Family	ARMENIA Ripsimia,   b. Abt 0911, Armenia d. Abt 0969, Bulgaria (Age 58 years)
  Children	1. КОМИТОПУЛИ Самуѝл,   b. Abt 0948, Ohrid, Ohrid, Macedonia d. 01 Oct 1014, Prilep, Prilep, Macedonia (Age 66 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F26399	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026