The Historians' History of the World 07

1330 Death of Alexius. His eldest son, Andronicus III, succeeds. A period of anarchy and civil war begins. Andronicus supposed to have put two brothers to death. Another brother and an uncle flee to Constantinople.

1332 Death of Andronicus. Accession of his young son, Manuel II, with everyone in power attempting to gain the direction of affairs. Taking advantage of the condition of affairs the Turkomans invade the empire, which is in great danger, and Basil, the fugitive son of Alexius II, is invited to become emperor. Manuel deposed. Basil proves a profligate monarch, and marries his mistress in spite of the fact that he has a wife. The power becomes decentralised.

1340 Death of Basil. His lawful wife, Irene Palæologina, daughter of the Byzantine emperor, is placed on the throne by her adherents. Civil war breaks out.

1341 Anna Anachoulu, daughter of Alexius II, is placed by the Comnenian party on the throne. Irene deposed. Michael, second son of Joannes II, claims throne. He is imprisoned, but a party forms around his son, Joannes.

1342 Joannes III gains throne from Anna. She is strangled.

1344 Disgusted with Joannes’ conduct the young nobles release his father, Michael, from prison and make him emperor. Michael confines Joannes in a monastery, and afterwards sends him to Hadrianopolis. He tries to improve the condition of affairs and decrease the power of the nobles, but is not strong enough for the task.

1347 The Great Plague (Black Death) rages in Trebizond. The Turkomans ravage the empire up to the walls of the capital.

1348 Turks capture Kerasunt. Genoese men of war attack Trebizond. The Greeks massacre the Franks for revenge.

1349 Michael makes peace with Genoese, ceding them fortress of Leontokastron. Civil riots break out. Michael dethroned and Alexius III, son of Basil, and his mistress, Irene of Trebizond, are brought from Constantinople to occupy the throne. The rebellions of the aristocracy continue.

1355 The rebels headed by the grand duke Nicetas appear with a fleet before Trebizond. Alexius drives them off. He begins to consolidate his power, but the Turkomans gradually seize territory from the empire until there is only a narrow strip of sea-coast left.

1380 Alexius quarrels with Megollo Lescari, a Genoese merchant, who fits out galleys to ravage the Black Sea. Alexius submits and confirms trade privileges of the Genoese.

1390 Death of Alexius. His son Manuel III succeeds.

1400 Manuel sends troops to the army of Timur, but does not himself take part in the battle of Angora (1402).

1405 After Timur’s death Manuel delivers empire from tribute to the Mongols.

1417 Death of Manuel. His son Alexius IV succeeds. After the retreat of the Mongols the empire is overrun by the two great Turkoman hordes of the Black and White Sheep. Kara Yusuf, chief of the Black Horde, compels Alexis to send a daughter to marry his son, and exacts tribute.

1420 Death of Kara Yusuf—the emperor ceases to pay tribute to the Black Horde.

1426 Rebellion of Alexius’ son Calo-Joannes, who has been raised to imperial dignity. The nobles rescue the emperor. Alexius confers rights of heir apparent and imperial dignity on his second son Alexander, who dies soon afterwards.

1442 First attack of Ottoman Turks on Trebizond is repulsed.

1446 Second rebellion of Calo-Joannes. He murders Alexius and succeeds as Joannes IV. He is hated for his crimes.

1449 The sheikh of Ertebil fails in an attempt to capture Trebizond. Joannes forms plan to expel Ottomans from Asia Minor and Muhammed II forced to invade the empire. Joannes compelled to become vassal of Muhammed and pay tribute.

1458 Death of Joannes as he is forming a great league against the Ottomans. A four-year-old son is set aside in favour of his brother David who continues Joannes’ work on the league.

1461 Siege and capture of Trebizond by Muhammed II. End of the empire of Trebizond. David retires to Mavronaros which he receives in exchange for his empire, and a few years later is put to death at Constantinople for refusing to join the Moslem faith.

THE KINGDOM OF SALONICA (1204-1222 A.D.)

1204 In the division of the Byzantine Empire among the crusaders, Boniface, marquis of Montferrat, commander-in-chief, receives a feudatory kingdom in Asia, but not liking to be so far from his Italian domains, he exchanges it for the province of Macedonia with Thessalonica for his capital. He calls it the kingdom of Salonica. He also believes himself entitled to Crete, and exchanges it with the Venetians for portions of Thessaly. Boniface would like to maintain an independent realm, but Baldwin I of Romania promptly compels him to do homage.

1204-1207 Boniface defeats attempts of the Greeks to recover his kingdom. He marches into the Peloponnesus and lays siege to Corinth and Argos, but is recalled by a rebellion in Thessalonica.