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'Andronikos IV Palaiologos' or 'Andronicus IV Palaeologus' (Greek: Ανδρόνικος Δ' Παλαιολόγος) (April 2, 1348 – June 28, 1385), was Byzantine emperor from 1376 to 1379.

Contents

Life

Family

Reference

Life

Andronikos IV Palaiologos was the eldest son of Emperor John V Palaiologos by his wife Helena Kantakouzene, a daughter of Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos. Although he was associated as co-emperor by his father since the early 1350s, Andronikos IV rebelled when the Ottoman sultan Murad I forced John V into vassalage in 1373. Andronikos IV had allied with Murad's son who was rebelling against his own father, but both rebellions failed. Murad I blinded his son and demanded that John V have Andronikos IV blinded as well, but John V blinded only one of his son's eyes.
In 1376 the Genoese helped Andronikos to escape from prison and take control of Constantinople. However, he was immediately attacked by Genoa's enemies, the Venetians, and was overthrown by them in 1379. The Venetians restored John V to the throne. Andronikos IV was allowed to keep the title of co-emperor and was given the city of Selymbria (Silivri) as his personal domain, where he died in 1385.

Family

By his wife Keratsa of Bulgaria (nun Makaria), a daughter of Emperor Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria and his second wife Sarah-Theodora, Andronikos IV had several children, including:
# John VII Palaiologos, emperor in 1390

Reference

★ ''Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium'', 1991.