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What happened when Basil II defeated Tsar Samuel in 1014?

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In 1014, the Byzantine emperor Basil II achieved a decisive victory over the Bulgarian tsar Samuel at the Battle of Kleidion (also known as the Battle of Belasitsa).12

Following the battle, Basil II ordered the blinding of approximately 15,000 captured Bulgarian soldiers. In a display of extreme cruelty, he left one eye for every 100th man so that they could lead the rest of the blinded army back to their tsar. Upon witnessing this horrific spectacle, Samuel reportedly fainted from shock and died shortly thereafter.3214

This event earned Basil II the byname "Bulgaroctonus," or "Slayer of the Bulgars". The defeat severely crippled the Bulgarian state, which lost its independence in 1018 and remained under Byzantine rule for more than 150 years. Such acts of mass mutilation are fundamentally contrary to the ethical principles of human dignity and the humane treatment of prisoners of war.241