At the same time local Bulgarians in Dyrrhachium, in what is now Albania, revolted under the officer Tihomir.

The two leaders met and to avoid distraction Peter Delyan was chosen as the only commander of the rebel army and Tihomir was killed.

After the two armies united Peter II Delyan marched eastwards to Thessalonica where at that time was the Byzantine Emperor Michael IV.

The Byzantines were defeated and Michael IV had to flee for his life leaving his personal tent and large quantity of gold and silver.

That caused serious troubles for the government in Constantinople which had to act swiftly in order to stop the restoration of the Bulgarian Empire.