Board Thread:Timeline Discussions/@comment-25205072-20150422083509/@comment-25205072-20150625044513

Story continued

In 1206 Isaac II died leaving his son Alexios IV "the great" as emperor. Although Alexios IV's uncle (Alexios III) brought a small army to the walls of Constantinople, eventually Alexios III was cut down by his own troops and pledged loyalty to Alexios IV. Alexios IV like his father was a military genius, and finished the conquest of anatolia finishing of the weak and enfeebled seljuk sultanate of rum in 1241 when the threat of the mongols came. Eventually in 1242, when Alexios IV died, he proclaimed his brother Manuel II to succeed him. However his brother John Komnenos (Angelos) proclaimed himself emperor at took control of Trebizond and the surronding region. Manuel, aged 39 at the time had no clear successor. After the defeat of the empire of Trebizond, Michael VIII palaiologos proclaimed himself emperor in 1259, which at the time was relatively bloodless. Under michael VIII, he began a massive expansion into lost territories in the crimea and then in sicily creating 3 enclaves along the coast. It was soon followed up by a campaign to capture southern italy however was killed. He was succeded by his son Andronikos II "The Norman Slayer" Palaiologos. He continued his father's campaign and captured the rest of sicily as well as destroy the kingdom sicily and incoporated its lands into the byzantine empire restoring the dream of Basil II of a strong byzantine empire.