Viktor Petrov
Doctoral student Viktor Petrov – Sofia University "St. Kliment
Ohridski"
(Summary)
The study examines the acts of brutality against Bulgarian prisoners of war committed on the orders of Emperor Basil II in the course of his war with Bulgaria of Tsar Samuel. The historical evidence of this phenomenon is analyzed and the reasons for its appearance are sought. Based on the source data, four leading factors emerged that provoked the actions of Basil II: a) ideological/political ones: by means of such demonstrations he punished the apostasy of the Bulgarians; b) personal/emotional ones: he revenged for the taking or direct endangerment of the lives of trusted imperial generals; c) psychological ones: instilling fear in the Bulgarians; d) pragmatic ones: impetus for the sooner surrender of the Bulgarians and the prevention of unnecessary human and material losses to the detriment of the Byzantine Empire. The combination of these features became the main incentive for the violence against Bulgarian prisoners of war and significantly contributed to the rapid conquest of the Bulgarian Tsardom.
Keywords: Tsar Samuel, Emperor Basil II, Bulgarian-Byzantine relations, prisoners of war, mass blinding
