Andronikos III Palaiologos

   Emperor (q.v.) from 13281341. The real power behind the throne was John Kantakouzenos (q.v.), who had helped dethrone Andronikos II (q.v.). Andronikos III proved to be a good general, winning victories against lesser foes in Thessaly and Epiros (qq.v.), and in the Aegean (q.v.), where a small Byzantine fleet (which he rebuilt) ejected the Genoese from Chios (q.v.). However, the Serbian advance in Macedonia (q.v.) was checked only when the Bulgars defeated the Serbs (qq.v.) at the battle of Velbuzd (q.v.) in 1330. Despite Andronikos's alliance with Venice (q.v.) and some of the small Latin states, the Ottoman (q.v.) advance was relentless. Under Sultan Orhan, Nicaea (qq.v.) was captured in 1331 and Nikomedia (q.v.) in 1337. When Andronikos died, he left behind a nine-year-old son, John V (q.v.), tended by his second wife, Anna of Savoy (q.v.), both poorly equipped to deal with the dangers that faced them, including a civil war with John (VI) Kantakouzenos (q.v.) that would further cripple the empire.