<prompt> Nokho, ukuze bamelane ngokuphumelelayo nabavukeli, uBasil kanye nongqongqoshe wakhe oholayo, u-parakoimomenos uBasil Lekapenos, baphoqeleka ukuba babuyise umkhuzi wamabutho uBardas Phokas Omncane, umshana woMbusi uNikephoros II, ekudingisweni ngo-978 futhi bammisele ukuba abe umlawuli wamabutho asempumalanga. Ngemva kokunqoba kwakhe uSkleros, uPhokas nabalandeli bakhe manje baqala ukuceba ukudiliza umbusi. Le mpi ayizange iqhume ngokushesha, kodwa zombili izinhlangothi zahlala kulokho isazi-mlando uMark Whittow esikubiza ngokuthi impi ebandayo. Ngo-985, umbusi waqala ngokuxosha noma ukwehlisa isikhundla sezikhulu eziningi zasempumalanga ezazithembekile esizweni sakwaPhokas: uBardas Phokas ngokwakhe wehliselwa esikhundleni sokuba doux wase-Antiyokiya kanti u-Eustathios Maleinos wakhululwa ebuthweni. Nokho, ngo-986, ngemva kokunqotshwa kukaBasilus ngokwabantu baseBulgaria emasangweni kaTrajan  <response>: nokubuya kukaSkleros ekudingisweni eBaghdad, umbusi waphoqeleka ukuba aphinde amise uBardas Phokas njengomphathi-jikelele waseMpumalanga. Ngokushesha uPhokas wakhohlisa uSkleros emhlanganweni futhi wambopha, kodwa manje ingxabano enqumayo yesihlalo sobukhosi yayingenakugwenywa: ngo-Agasti 15 noma ngoSepthemba 14, 987, endlini kaMaleinos esifundeni seCharsianon, imindeni ehola phambili yezikhulu ezihlangene yamemezela uPhokas njengombusi. 