Andronikos III Palaiologos
Andronikos III Palaiologos became Byzantine emperor after winning a civil war against his grandfather Andronikos II that lasted from 1321 to 1328. Despite the inauspicious circumstances of his rise to power - which had involved the accidental death of his brother in a brawl he organized - he proved a more energetic ruler than his grandfather. Advised by his able general and friend John Kantakouzenos, he reorganized the judicial system, establishing the Universal Judges, and attempted to reform the military. He campaigned personally in the Balkans, recovering some Thessalian and Epirote territories. Against the Turks in Anatolia, however, his reign saw further catastrophic losses: Nicaea itself fell to the Ottomans in 1331 and Nikomedeia in 1337. He died in June 1341, leaving the empire to his nine-year-old son John V, which triggered a new civil war between the regency and John Kantakouzenos.
- Lived: 1297 CE – 1341 CE
- Nationality: byzantine
- Roles: emperor, head_of_state, military_leader
