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In 1295 Andronicus' son was crowned co-emperor as Michael IX and the joint reign lasted a quarter of a century until Michael's premature death on 12th October 1320.

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Under the rule of Andronicus lithe Empire went into the decline from which it was destined never to fully recover. The vigorous policies of Michael VIII had sapped the strength of the newly restored State , and its actual weakness had been disguised by the diplomatic genius of its ruler.

Andronicus did not possess his father's great gifts for statesmanship but he was a highly cultured man and Constantinople remained an intellectual center throughout his long reign. In religious matters he pursued a strictly orthodox policy and the Union of the Churches, proclaimed under his father, was repudiated immediately after his accession. However, as the feudalization of the Empire gathered pace the central government soon found itself in dire financial straits, and Andronicus was obliged to make drastic cuts in the armed forces thus placing the State at the mercy of its powerful enemies. Almost the whole of Asia Minor was overrun by fresh hordes of Turkish tribes as early as 1300.

In 1295 Andronicus' son was crowned co-emperor as Michael IX and the joint reign lasted a quarter of a century until Michael's premature death on 12th October 1320. The young Andronicus Palaeologus, son of the late co-emperor, then advanced his claim to imperial rank but his grandfather had a low opinion of the headstrong youth and rejected the demand. A period of civil war ensued which weakened the State still further. Andronicus III was ultimately triumphant and the aged Andronicus II was forced to abdicate (24th May 1328). He retired to a monastery where he died four years later as the monk Anthony.

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The new emperor and his right-hand man John Cantacuzenus spared no effort to improve the condition of the State, but the wasting sickness of the Byzantine Empire had already gone too far for cure. Attempts were made to eradicate corruption in the legal system but the effective administration of justice was hampered by disunity between the various parts of the realm.

In Europe and Asia the power of the Empire's enemies steadily increased: the Serbs became the dominant force in south-east Europe after their great vicrory over the Bulgarians in 1330, whilst in Asia Minor many of the Turkish tribes were united under the powerful Ottoman dynasty. Virtually the whole of Asiatic Byzantine territory was now permanently lost to the invaders though this was mitigated to some extent by imperial successes in Thessaly and Epirus. Unfortunately the Empire was robbed of the services of its courageous ruler by his premature death in 1341 , and the accession of his son, a minor, ushered in a new period of disastrous civil war.

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John Palaeologus was only nine years old at the time of his father's death and a struggle for the regency immediately developed between the Grand Domestic John Cantacuzenus and the Dowager Empress Anne of Savoy. Civil war soon broke out and lasted almost six years: with Turkish support John Cantacuzenus was victorious and in 1347 he was crowned co-emperor. But the struggle had weakened the Empire still further and in 1348 the crowning misfortune came when plague decimated the population of Constantinople.

John VI Cantacuzenus was eventually ousted late in 1354 and John V embarked upon his sole rule. The next few years saw the commencement of the Turkish conquest of the Balkans, and the power of the Byzantines was at such a low ebb that they could only sit back and watch the subjugation of their former territories. In 1366 the Emperor journeyed to the court of Louis the Great of Hungary to seek help against the Muslims, but no assistance was forthcoming and three years later he even visited Rome, and was converted to the Catholic faith, in the hope that the Western powers would intervene. But again he was disappointed in his expectations and soon afterwards he became a vassal of the Ottoman Sultan with obligations of military service.

The latter part of John V's reign was troubled by family feuds and for three years (1376-9) his eldest son, Andronicus IV, even usurped his father's throne. The rebellion was put down with Turkish help but the episode only served to make John V even more dependent on his Ottoman overlord. Death finally released the unfortunate Emperor from his life of trials and tribulations (1391): the half century of his reign had witnessed the final collapse of Byzantium as an independent power and its remaining years were spent in bondage to the Ottoman Empire, permitted to exist by the grace of the mighty Sultan.

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Andronicus II became co-emperor in 1272.

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The founder of the last great Byzantine dynasty, Michael Palaeologus commenced his imperial career as regent for the young Nicaean Emperor John IV (August 1258). At the end of the year he was crowned eo-emperor and thereafter devoted himself to the restoration of the Byzantine Empire.

On 25th July 1261 Constantinople was re-captured and the Emperor Baldwin II fled from the city. Three weeks later Michael VIII entered his capital in triumph and was re-crowned in the ancient church of St. Sophia. Once again Byzantium became a Mediterranean power and as such a target for attack by its enemies in the West, the North and the East. Like so many of his predecessors Michael was obliged to grant extensive trading privileges to the powerful maritime republic of Venice, but he attempted to lessen the danger by coming to terms with the Genoese also. Meanwhile the Kingdom of Sicily and Naples had passed into the hands of Michael's bitterest opponent, Charles of Anjou, who lost no time in organizing a coalition of powers hostile to Byzantium. Luckily Michael VIII was an exceedingly astute diplomat, but he needed all his guile to counter the threat from the Sicilian King. In order to obtain vital papal support the Emperor, in the face of enormous opposition from his subjects, agreed to the Union of the Churches, with the recognition of papal primacy (1274). This achieved the desired result and Charles of Anjou was constrained by Pope Gregory X from attacking Constantinople. Ultimately, Michael triumphed over his arch-adversary Charles: smouldering discontent with Angevin rule in Sicily was brought to a head by cunning diplomacy and the King was overthrown in a bloody revolution (April1282). Later the same year Michael Vlll died, having achieved all his goals, and the Byzantine throne passed to his son Andronicus Palaeologus.

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