Emperor Basil: The Bulgar-Slayer Who Blinded a Whole Army
In 1014, after a decisive victory over the Bulgarian Empire at the Battle of Kleidion, Byzantine Emperor Basil II made a decision that would echo through history. Thousands of captured Bulgarian soldiers were blinded, with one man in every hundred left with a single eye to guide the others home. When Tsar Samuel saw the shattered remnants of his army return, he is said to have suffered a fatal stroke just two days later. Whether every detail unfolded exactly as later chroniclers described remains a subject of historical debate, but the story cemented Basil's legacy forever. He would be…
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