Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantium, episode 322, The Worst Civil War, Part 2.

Last time, we saw how the death of Andronicus III at the age of 44 sparked conflict amongst

those closest to him, and sadly the short, sharp civil war we might expect, did not materialise.

The Regency government, led by the Patriarch, the Empress Anna, and her chief minister, Alexius Apocococos, were the people's choice to run the empire.

But the army remained loyal to their commander, John Cantacuzinos.

This standoff left the empire rudderless in increasingly choppy waters.

Deprived of money and support, John turned to his

foreign allies, the Kral of Serbia, Stefan Dushan, and the Emir of Aiden, Amor. They would eventually

win the war for him. But at what cost?

In spring 1343, the governors of the cities of Greece began appealing to Cantacusinos for aid.

His allies, the Serbians, were ranging southwards, capturing Roman towns and Albanian strongholds in the mountains. There seemed nothing in place to stop Stefan Duchan from making himself master of Greece as well. By submitting

to John, these Roman cities hoped to save themselves from annexation, since presumably the

Kral would not attack his allies' territory.

This was the rope which the drowning John needed. He accepted the submission of a dozen towns across Thessaly,

and sent his cousin John Angoulos to essentially rule Greece on his behalf.

This suddenly gave John the legitimacy, money and manpower he needed

to actually begin campaigning in earnest.

Catecusinos was glad to be out from under the Kral's thumb

and set up his HQ in the city of Veria,

about 45 miles west of Thessaloniki.

John's army now consisted of a corps of loyal professional soldiers, though only a few hundred of them,

levies from Thessaly and the soldiers lent to him by the Serbians.

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