The History of Byzantium · [email protected]

Episode 320 - The Last Hurrah

April 4, 2025·23 min·2 clips

Andronicus III storms Constantinople's palace to depose his grandfather, ushering in a new era of youthful vigor for the Byzantine Empire.

Defeat at Pelicanon did not leave the Romans with no moves. The story shifts to the sea, where Andronicus and his domestic still had room to act after Anatolia was lost. Chios was the first target. The Zachariah family, Genoese merchants connected to Phokia on the Anatolian coast, had taken the island out of imperial control. Its value was practical. Phokia had alum, and Chios was known for mastic, apparently bringing in over 100,000 gold coins a year. The response was rough but it worked. Merchant vessels became troop transports, while ships from the Latin duke of Naxos helped carry Roman forces back to the island. Control returned quickly. Andronicus then crossed into Asia, entered Phokia, and was recognized there as lord and master while leaving the Genoese in place. That gave him a diplomatic opening. He invited local Turkish emirs to meet him, reached some kind of agreement, and tried to manage Turkish piracy, Latin ambition, and Byzantine caution at the same time. None of it was comfortable. Venetians and Genoese were already discussing a Christian alliance against the Muslims, but the Byzantines knew what Latin alliances could cost. So Chios became useful. Its position near Asia let the Romans negotiate with Turkish powers while watching Latin pressure. The mood is sober, not triumphant. Anatolia was still gone, but the empire could still use rivalries, test friendships, and make geography matter. Then came the Latin test. Six years later, in 1335, the Genoese lord of Phokia allied with the Duchy of Naxos, the Hospitallers on Rhodes, and the Genoese to seize Lesbos.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The History of Byzantium