Andronikos III Palaiologos | |||||
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Emperor of the Byzantine Empire | |||||
Reign | 1328 – 15 June 1341 | ||||
Predecessor | Andronikos II Palaiologos | ||||
Successor | John V Palaiologos | ||||
Born |
Constantinople, Byzantine Empire |
25 March 1297||||
Died | 15 June 1341 (aged 44) Constantinople, Byzantine Empire |
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Spouse |
Irene of Brunswick Anna of Savoy |
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Issue |
Irene, Empress of Trebizond (illegitimate) Maria (renamed Eirene) John V Palaiologos Michael Palaiologos Eirene (renamed Maria) Palaiologina, Lady of Lesbos |
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House | Palaiologos | ||||
Father | Michael IX Palaiologos | ||||
Mother | Rita of Armenia |
Full name | |
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Andronikos III Palaiologos Greek: Ανδρόνικος Γ' Παλαιολόγος |
Andronikos III Palaiologos (Greek: Ανδρόνικος Γʹ Παλαιολόγος; 25 March 1297 – 15 June 1341), commonly Latinized as Andronicus III Palaeologus, was Byzantine emperor from 1328 to 1341. Born Andronikos Doukas Angelos Komnenos Palaiologos (Greek: Ἀνδρόνικος Δούκας Ἄγγελος Κομνηνός Παλαιολόγος), he was the son of Michael IX Palaiologos and Rita of Armenia. He was proclaimed co-emperor in his youth, before 1313, and in April 1321 he rebelled in opposition to his grandfather, Andronikos II Palaiologos. He was formally crowned co-emperor in February 1325, before ousting his grandfather outright and becoming sole emperor on 24 May 1328.
His reign included the last failed attempts to hold back the Ottoman Turks in Bithynia and the defeat at Rusokastro against the Bulgarians, but also the successful recovery of Chios, Lesbos, Phocaea, Thessaly, and Epirus. His early death left a power vacuum that resulted in the disastrous civil war between his Empress-dowager, Anna of Savoy, and his closest friend and supporter, John VI Kantakouzenos.
Andronikos was born in Constantinople on 25 March 1297, the 38th birthday of his paternal grandfather, Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos. His father, Michael IX Palaiologos, began reigning in full imperial style as co-emperor circa 1295.