Overview
Presian ruled for sixteen years and pushed Bulgaria's frontier south and west into Macedonia. An inscription set up at Philippi by the kavkhan Isbul calls him 'Presian, ruler from God of the many Bulgarians'.
Rise to Power
He succeeded Malamir in 836; he was probably the son of Malamir's brother Zvinitsa.
Rule and Achievements
- Sent the kavkhan Isbul against the Byzantine coast of the Aegean in 837, when the Slavs near Thessalonica rose against Byzantium
- Extended Bulgarian rule over much of Macedonia
- Fought the Serbs in 839–842 and was defeated
Legacy
He died in 852 and was succeeded by his son Boris.