Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - A ƙarshen ƙarni na 10, babbar barazana ga Girka ta fito ne daga Sama'ila, wanda ke yaƙi da yankin tare da Basil II. A shekara ta 985, Sama'ila ya kama Thessaly da kuma birnin Larissa mai muhimmanci, kuma a shekara ta 989, ya washe Tasalonika. Basil a hankali ya fara dawo da waɗannan yankuna a cikin 991, amma Sama'ila ya sake kama yankunan da ke kusa da Tasalonika da Peloponnese a cikin 997 kafin a tilasta masa komawa Bulgaria. A cikin 999, Sama'ila ya kama Dyrrhachium kuma ya sake kai hari arewacin Girka. Basil ya sake dawo da waɗannan yankuna a shekara ta 1002 kuma ya yi nasara da Bulgar a cikin shekaru goma kafin mutuwarsa (duba mamayar Byzantine na Bulgaria
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