A revolt against Constantinople, led by the four sons of Macedonian governor Nicholas, had spread to become a war of liberation.

Samuel is the fourth and youngest son of count (comita) Nikola, a Bulgarian noble, who might have been the Count of Sredets (Sofia), although other sources suggest that he was a regional count somewhere in the region of today Macedonia.

His mother was Ripsimia of Armenia.

The actual name of the dynasty is not known.

“Cometopuli” is the nickname which is used by Byzantine historians to address rulers from the dynasty as its founder.

Samuel and the Cometopuli had risen to power out of the disorder that had occurred in the Bulgarian Empire from 966 to 971.

After Emperor John I Tzimiskes dies on January 11, 976, the Cometopuli launch an assault along the whole border with the Empire.

Within a few weeks, however, David is killed by Vlach vagrants and Moses is fatally injured by a stone during the siege of Serres.

The brothers' actions to the south detain many imperial troops and ease Samuel's liberation of northeastern Bulgaria; the imperial commander is defeated and retreated to Crimea.

Any Bulgarian nobles and officials who had not opposed Constantinople’s conquest of the region are executed, and the war continues north of the Danube until the enemy is scattered and Bulgarian rule is restored.

After suffering these defeats in the Balkans, the Empire descends into civil war.

The commander of the Asian army, Bardas Skleros, rebels in Asia Minor and sends troops under his son Romanus in Thrace to besiege Constantinople.

The new Emperor Basil II does not have enough manpower to fight both the Bulgarians and the rebels and resorts to treason, conspiracy and complicated diplomatic plots.

Basil II makes many promises to the Bulgarians and Scleros to divert them from allying against him.

Aaron, the eldest living Cometopulus, is tempted by an alliance with Constantinople and the opportunity to seize power in Bulgaria for himself.

He holds land in Thrace, a region potentially subject to the imperial threat.

Basil reaches an agreement with Aaron, who asks to marry Basil's sister to seal it.

Basil instead sends the wife of one of his officials with the bishop of Sebaste.

However, the deceit is uncovered and the bishop is killed.

Nonetheless, negotiations proceed and conclude in a peace agreement.

Samuel learns of the conspiracy and the clash between the two brothers is inevitable.

The quarrel breaks out in the vicinity of Dupnitsa on June 14, 976, and ends with the annihilation of Aaron's family.

Only his son, Ivan Vladislav, survives because Samuel's son Gavril Radomir pleads on his behalf.

From this moment on, practically all power and authority in the state is held by Samuel and the danger of an internal conflict has been all but eliminated.

However, another theory suggests that Aaron participated in the battle of the Gates of Trajan which will take place ten years later.

According to that theory, Aaron was killed on June 14, 987 or 988.