ir ate ▁of ▁Mel it ene , ▁along ▁with ▁The od osi opol is ▁the ▁strong est ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁border ▁em ir ates , ▁and ▁advanced ▁into ▁Armen ia ▁in ▁the ▁ 9 3 0 s ; ▁the ▁next ▁three ▁dec ades ▁were ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁struggle ▁of ▁the ▁Ph ok as ▁cl an ▁and ▁their ▁depend ants ▁against ▁the ▁Ham dan id ▁em ir ▁of ▁Ale ppo , ▁Say f ▁al - D aw la . ▁Al - D aw la ▁was ▁finally ▁defeated ▁by ▁N ike ph or os ▁II ▁Ph ok as , ▁who ▁conquer ed ▁C il icia ▁and ▁northern ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁recovered ▁Cre te . ▁His ▁nep hew ▁and ▁successor , ▁John ▁I ▁T z im isk es , ▁pushed ▁even ▁further ▁south , ▁almost ▁reaching ▁Jerusalem , ▁but ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 9 7 6 ▁ended ▁By z antine ▁expansion ▁towards ▁Palest ine . ▁ ▁After ▁putting ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁internal ▁str ife , ▁Bas il ▁II ▁launched ▁a ▁counter - camp aign ▁against ▁the ▁Arab s ▁in ▁ 9 9 5 . ▁The ▁By z antine ▁civil ▁wars ▁had ▁weak ened ▁the ▁Empire ' s ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁east , ▁and ▁the ▁g ains ▁of ▁N ike ph or os ▁II ▁Ph ok as ▁and ▁John ▁I ▁T z im isk es ▁came ▁close ▁to ▁being ▁lost , ▁with ▁Ale ppo ▁bes ie ged ▁and ▁Ant io ch ▁under ▁threat . ▁Bas il ▁won ▁several ▁batt les ▁in ▁Sy ria , ▁rel