At the beginning of the 11th c. A.D. Setina (today's Skopos village of Florini prefecture) had a special strategic importance. The Bulgarian Tsar Samuel had built an important fortress there. In 1014 Samuel's army was crushed by Basil II Bulgarokdonos in the famous battle of Kleidi.
Shortly after the battle Samuel died and the Byzantine army liberated a number of Macedonian cities. However, the Bulgarian state was not overthrown and the war continued. In 1015 Ivan Vladislav murdered his cousin and son and successor Samuel Gabriel Radomir and seized the throne continuing the war against the Romans defeating the Empire at the Battle of Vitola and lifting the siege of Pernicus (the ancient capital of the Agrians).
In 1017 Basilios Bulgaroktonos invaded the Bulgarian occupied territories at the head of a powerful army reinforced also by a division of Barangs. His goal was the liberation of Kastoria. But the Bulgarians attempted a counter-distraction in eastern Bulgaria by attempting to ally with the Patsinaks (Petchenegs).
Basilios, fearing such a possibility, lifted the siege of Kastoria and moved east. Finally, the Bulgarian counter-distraction failed since the Patsinakes refused the Bulgarian alliance, probably after the intervention of Basil.
Thus, now undistracted, the emperor returned. Basil attacked and captured the Bulgarian fortress at Setina. Ivan Vladislav immediately moved to repel the Byzantines. Basilius sent his general Constantine Diogenes against the Bulgarians, but the latter had set an ambush.
Diogenes' power was pressed extremely hard. Fortunately, the situation was saved by the emperor himself who immediately moved to rescue Diogenes' section. The Bulgarians at the mere sight of the army of the Bulgarian Slayer fled, pursued by Diogenes and his men.
Neither the strength of the opposing armies nor the casualties are known. The chronicler Skylitzis reports that the Bulgarians suffered heavy losses and 200 were captured. The battle was not of great tactical importance, but instead had great strategic value.
The defeat of the new Bulgarian tsar made his position extremely difficult. In order to confirm his authority, Ivan Vladislav ventured a little later to attack Durrës. But there he was killed, according to Skylitzis, in a duel with the Byzantine officer Nikitas Pagonitis. A few months later Bulgaria surrendered and became a province of the Empire.