Bulgarian-Byzantine Wars: Battle of Kleidion
Sunday July 29, 2007
July 29, 1014 - At Kleidion in southwest Bulgaria, Byzantine forces under Emperor Basil II destroy the main Bulgarian army of Tsar Samuil. The culmination of decades of conflict, the Battle of Kleidion (left) signaled the beginning of the end for the Bulgarian Empire. Following the battle, Basil ordered that 99% of the 14,000 Bulgarians captured in the battle be blinded so that they could not fight again, leaving 1% with one eye so that they could guide their comrades home.
Photograph Courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
Comments
Scylitzes has written 14-15000 almost a centure after the battle. Kekavmen, who was an eye whitnes on the battle, has spoken about 4-5000…And even the quantity of death (blind) soldiers had been 15000, for the Medieval time it was a very small number.Furthermore the fatal battle took place ot 29. 07. 1014, but tzar Samuil died… on 06. 10. 1014 from stroke. Is that not too long time? Almost 2.5 months!!! Or somebody helped him to pass away!? At that time just a few people aronnd him haven’t been treasors…