Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantine

episode 305, The Return from Exile.

Michael Paliologos was born around 1224, probably at Nicia itself. From a young age it was

understood that Michael was going to be a big player in Roman politics. The

full name he uses on some documents is Michael,

Dukas, Angilos, Komninos, Balilocos. Yes, he was related to every dynasty that had ruled the empire for the past two centuries.

In fact, his grandfather was Alexius Baliologos, the man who had stood alongside Theodore Laskaris at the double

wedding where Alexius Anglos Kominos had married off his daughters, essentially

nominating Laskaris and Paliologos as his likely successes.

Paliologos died young and so it was Laskaris, who was left to rebuild the Roman state at Nicia.

Michael grew up at the court of John Vatatsies, and may have looked at his peer, Theodore Laskaris

the second, and wondered if he would be a more suitable heir to the throne.

Michael's father, also called Andronicus, was one of Vertazzi's senior generals and when Thessalonika was retaken the

Paleologi were placed in charge of that region. They had ancestral links

there even though Michael had never left Western Anatolia before.

He now got to know the area, and it was in his capacity as a sub-commander

that he was first accused of treason. The murky accusation didn't stick, but it's

interesting that Vatatsi's had no trouble believing that Michael could have conspired

with his enemies.

Acropolis, our historian, was briefly Michael's tutor,

and observed that the young man had a knack for adapting his personality to suit the company he was in.

Mixing with other young men he was excitable and fun

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