Petinos commanded a garrison troop of Videssian soldiers in a frontier fort near the border with Halogaland. When a civil war broke out between Stylianos and Maleinos II and Maleinos suffered a defeat near Imbros, Petinos was ordered by the Avtokrator Maleinos to bring his force back to Videssos the City to bolster his army. Petinos left a rump force to defend from any Halogai incursions and marched back toward the City. His route took him by Skopentzana so he took advantage of it to rest his troops there for several days.