Solomon came from the Árpád house. His father was Andrew I, king of Hungary between 1046 and 1060, while his mother was Anastasia, princess of Kiev. His two cousins were Géza I and Saint Ladislaus.

Solomon was already crowned king in Székesfehérvár at a young age. However, his paternal uncle, Béla I, took the throne from his father, so they were forced to flee Hungary. In 1063, he returned to his country and married the German-Roman emperor IV. Henrik's sister, Judith. In 1064, he was crowned again in Pécs, thanks to his cousins, who recognized his rule. However, their relationship deteriorated in 1070, because one of his nephews, Géza, turned against him. In the battle of Mogyoród in 1074, Solomon was defeated and in 1081 he decided to permanently abdicate his throne. He then tried several times to get it back, but was always unsuccessful. He finally became a monk.

He died in Pula in 1087. He was succeeded by Prince Géza.

The system of periodic currency renewal (renovatio monete) was introduced in the time of King Solomon, on the German model. The coins of the young king were lower in weight and silver content than the coins of his predecessors, and even the image of the previously customary coins was changed: a German-style crowned king appears on his coins, with small mint marks.