Was Basil II of Byzantium Evil?

After reading everyones i threads i have come to conlcusion that Basil wasnt evil.

Originally posted by bg_turk Here is a miniature depicting the blinding of the Bulgarians. The deads of Vasil also served as an inspiration for the destruction of  the Bulgarian people in Macedonia during the Balkan wars. Here is a Greek propaganda image in another war with the Bulgarians, this time several centuries later (1910s Balkan wars). The legacy of Vasil II remains strong still. There are streets in Greece named "Vasil Bulgarslayer". In my eyes Vasil II was an evil bloodthirsty barbarian, a torturer with a perverted mind, the medieval equivalent of Hitler.

if you say so then any conqueror or state leader in that time-period would have enough credentials to be the medieval equvalent of Hitler.  thing is you can not judge a man of the 10th/11th ct. by standards of the 21st ct., for his time he was more generous than most armies who would've slaugthered the pow's in question, he blinded them considering that the deathy penalty was in effect in the roman empire at this time he shows mercy to a degree here.

Considering the fact that Bulgarian tzars had never ordered their authorities to carry out such an act, I think it outragous.

 I think evil is the wrong word entirely, ruthless, brutal, merciless are better words, evil is just plain ridiculous.

"Evil" belongs in fairy tale books for children, where the world is black and white. We, as adults and intellectuals, should be above such simplistic notions.

Bulgarian might massacred populations of cities and killed many others but they never was so cruel against prisoners and captured soldiers.The only reported case by byzantine authors during First Bulgarian Empires was about the first battle of Simeon agaisnt Byzantine Empire in 894.It is known that after the battle bulgarian forces captured many khazar warriors.And Simeon returned them in Constantinople with cut arms and noses.Even Khan Krum who may be is a symbol of bulgarian cruelty was for more nice ruler than Basil II.The case withe the skull of Nicephorus is much more complicated.In fact it was not an act of cruelty.It was even an act of honour.I already mentioned bulgarian pagan cult Orendism in the topic Terror of the Byzantines.Bulgars believed that there is a god's power that exist in a particular persons and animals.Only the great leaders and rules has this power and it is concentrated in the blood and especially in the head.So Krum thought that by drinking from the skull of the byzantine emperor he received his blessed power and became stronger and more powerful.BTW it was not so cruel because Nicephorus was probably beheaded when he was already death.So calm down,he didnt feel any pain.

In my view Basil II is one of the greatest byzantine emperors.But i dont think the decision to blind 15 000 bulgarians soldiers was planned.May be it was taken in the moment.Dont forget that Basil II already suffered a great defeat by Samuil and he was lucky to escape.The second reason is the determined fight of bulgarians.The third is that one of his favourite generals was defeated and killed by Gavril Radomir just after the battle of Kluch.So this decision may be was an act of vengeance and anger.Just look what Basil did after the conquest of Bulgaria.He saved the independent bulgarian church and its bulgarian clerics and leaders.Most of the bulgarian aristocracy was preserved.The emperor didnt obligate bulgarian population with the new harsh taxes.The remaining bulgarian army(which number was very big)was used by Byzantine Empire in Armenia.So Basil II was not so bad ruler,neither Krum was.
    

Edited by Krum - 12-Dec-2006 at 13:58

He did.And what i am trying to say is that it was a sacred ritual,not an act of barbarism.
    

Edited by Krum - 13-Dec-2006 at 00:53

Originally posted by bg_turk Here is a miniature depicting the blinding of the Bulgarians. The deads of Vasil also served as an inspiration for the destruction of� the Bulgarian people in Macedonia during the Balkan wars. Here is a Greek propaganda image in another war with the Bulgarians, this time several centuries later (1910s Balkan wars). The legacy of Vasil II remains strong still. There are streets in Greece named "Vasil Bulgarslayer".In my eyes Vasil II was an evil bloodthirsty barbarian, a torturer with a perverted mind, the medieval equivalent of Hitler.

What is your opinion of Temujin and Timur e Leng?

They did far worse and are very muh revered by their apparent descendants.
    

An interesting discussion -- given that I'm writing an allegorical novel with the central character half based on Basil II and half based on me 

why did he let one person to be half blinded? If It is a law, It should be applied everyone.