JCC: Basil II: Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars Under Secretary General: Mirata Deva The Bulgars had been raiding the Byzantine lands since 976, and the Byzantine court tried to create chaos in the Bulgar ranks by allowing the captive former Bulgar Tsar Boris II of Bulgaria to escape. Albeit, this bet failed and Byzantine Emperor Basil II led a campaign on Bulgaria in 986, despite facing an internal conflict, caused by his own nobility. Basil II sieged Sredets—he was forced to retreat after taking losses and doubting the loyalty of his governors, during which he was ambushed and defeated at the Battle of the Gates of Trajan. Basil II and his commanders organised number of campaigns until the defeat of Tsar Samuel and Bulgars in the year 1014—after years of war Basil II took his vengeance on his enemies very cruelly by punishing them harshly, earning him his nickname “The Bulgar Slayer”. Tsar Samuel, seeing his blinded army, died of a stroke.