David of Bulgaria in the context of "Samuel of Bulgaria"

From c. 970 until 1018, a series of conflicts between the Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire led to the gradual reconquest of Bulgaria by the Byzantines, who thus re-established their control over the entire Balkan peninsula for the first time since the 7th-century Slavic invasions. The struggle began with the incorporation of eastern Bulgaria after the Russo-Byzantine War (970–971). Bulgarian resistance was led by the Cometopuli brothers, who – based in the unconquered western regions of the Bulgarian Empire – led it until its fall under Byzantine rule in 1018.

As the Byzantine-Bulgarian relations deteriorated by the end of the 960s, the Eastern Roman Empire paid the Kievan prince Sviatoslav to attack Bulgaria. The unexpected collapse of Bulgaria and Sviatoslav's ambitions to seize Constantinople caught the Eastern Roman Empire off-guard but they managed to pull back the Kievan armies and occupied eastern Bulgaria including the capital Preslav in 971. Emperor Boris II was captured and taken to Constantinople where he abdicated and the Byzantine Emperor John I Tzimiskes announced the annexation of Bulgaria, even though the Eastern Roman Empire only controlled Eastern Bulgaria at the time, and the lands to the west remained under Bulgarian control. The four brothers David, Moses, Aron, and Samuel of the Cometopuli dynasty ruled in the free territories and in 976, launched a major offensive against the Byzantines to regain the lost lands. Soon, the youngest brother, Samuel, took complete authority following the deaths of his three eldest brothers.

Moses (Church Slavonic: Мѡѷсе́й Bulgarian: Мойсей; died c. 976/986) was a Bulgarian noble, brother of Emperor Samuel of Bulgaria and second son of komes Nicholas. After the fall of the eastern parts of the Empire under Byzantine occupation in 971, he and his brothers David, Aron and Samuel continued the fight to the west. They ruled together and divided the realm into four parts. His lands were centred on Strumitsa, from where he had to launch attacks against the Aegean regions of the Byzantine Empire.

In 976, the Bulgarian armies undertook a major assault from all borders and Moses lead his troops to Serres. During the siege of the town, he was mortally hit by a stone and then slain by an enemy sword. David and Aron also perished in the same year and the whole power fell in the hands of Samuel, who became Emperor in 997 after the death of last ruler from the previous dynasty, Roman.

Aron (Bulgarian: Арон; died in 987/988 or 976) was a Bulgarian noble, brother of Emperor Samuel of Bulgaria and third son of komes Nicholas. After the fall of the eastern parts of the country under Byzantine occupation in 971, he and his three brothers David, Moses and Samuel continued the resistance to the west. They were called Cometopuli and ruled the country together, as the rightful heirs to the throne, Boris II and Roman were imprisoned in Constantinople. The residence of Aron was Serdica (modern-day Sofia), situated on the main road between Constantinople and Western Europe. He had to defend the area from enemy invasions and attack the Byzantine territories in Thrace.

The komes ("count") Nicholas (Bulgarian: Никола, romanized: Nikola) was a local ruler in Bulgaria, and progenitor of the Cometopuli ("the sons of the count") dynasty.

According to the Armenian chronicler Stephen of Taron, the family originated in the Armenian region of Derdjan, where their sons were born. However, Michael Palairet affirms that count Nicholas' family name is Shishman, a family name not of Armenian origin, which centuries later became a Bulgarian royal dynasty. He was married to Ripsime or Hripsime, seen as a daughter of King Ashot II of Armenia. However, Ashot ll and his wife Marie of Kachen are not known to have had children. The couple had four sons, David, Moses, Aron, and Samuel, who are collectively known as the Cometopuli (from Greek Kometopouloi, "sons of the komes"; Armenian կոմսաձագ Komsajagk). Sometime in the 970s—the exact date is unclear and disputed—the brothers launched a successful rebellion against the Byzantine Empire, that had recently subdued Bulgaria; after the early death of his brothers, Samuel remained as the undisputed leader of Bulgaria, ruling as Tsar from 996 until his death in 1014.