Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Sama'ila ya tabbatar da cewa ya kasance mai nasara shugaba inflicting mai girma shan kashi a kan Byzantine sojojin jagorancin Basil II a Gates na Trajan
da kuma dawo da arewa maso gabashin Bulgaria. Yaƙin neman zaɓensa na nasara ya faɗaɗa iyakokin Bulgaria zuwa Thessaly da Epirus kuma a cikin 998 ya ci masarautar Duklja. A cikin 997 Samuel ya zama Sarkin Bulgaria bayan mutuwar mai mulkin doka, Roman.