Aleppo had been an imperial vassal since the days of Nikephoros II Phokas (r. 963–969), but already in the years before the death of Basil II (r. 976–1025), its emirs had begun to acknowledge the suzerainty of the Fatimid caliphs of Egypt.
After the overthrow of the Hamdanids in 1004, Aleppo had been ruled by several princes nominally subordinate to the Fatimids.
It was from these individuals that Salih ibn Mirdas had taken the town in 1024, by which time Constantinople’s influence over Aleppo and northern Syria in general had declined considerably.
When he died fighting the Fatimid governor of Damascus, al-Duzbari, five years later, his two sons Shibl al-Daula Nasr and Mu'izz al-Daula Thimal had succeeded him.
During an absence from the town, however, Thimal had been removed from power by his brother.
Nasr is hereafter the sole ruler of the Mirdasid territories.
Romanos III, despite his complete lack of military experience, is eager to emulate Basil's military successes, and in March 1030 he departs Constantinople, leading in person a campaign against Aleppo.
His army, some twenty thousand strong, contains many foreign mercenaries.
According to the Byzantine chroniclers, so confident was Romanos of his success that he prepared special crowns for his triumph to come, and staged a grandiose entry into Antioch.
Shibl al-Dawla Nasr, learning of the imperial army’ approach, sends envoys and offers to recognize imperial suzerainty and to restart the payment of tribute.
Romanos's generals counsel him to accept so as to avoid the hazards of campaigning in the arid Syrian desert in summer, especially as their troops are unaccustomed to such conditions and are encumbered by their heavy armor, but Romanos rejects their advice and leads his army towards Azaz.
