In 1170 Roman defeated Bogolyubsky's son Mstislav in a battle, however after the death of his father in the same year he was expelled from Novgorod and moved to Volhynia, where he inherited the city of Volodymyr.

[8] In the same year, after the death of Galician prince Yaroslav Osmomysl, Roman captured Halych, but was soon expelled by Hungarian king Bela III.

[12] After a short period of reconciliation, during which Rurik granted him the town of Polonne, in 1196 Roman continued the fight against his father-in-law, allying with the Olgovichi clan.

[13] During this time he divorced his wife and married a woman named Anna, whose exact ancestry is unclear, but it is theorized that she could be the daughter of Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos.

In 1201-1202 and 1203-1204 Roman led two successful campaigns against the Cumans, who were allied with Rurik during that time, and captured Kyiv, installing his brother-in-law Rostislav Rurikovich as its prince.

[14] Roman also established ties with the Byzantine Empire: according to Polish chronicler Jan Długosz, after the Faill of Constantinople to the Crusaders in 1204, he gave refuge to deposed emperor Constantine Laskaris in Galicia.

[19] According to some sources, in 1204 Roman was offered a royal crown by Pope Innocent III, but either refused to bow to Rome, or died before the coronation could take place.