Manuel II goes a-calling on the heads of state of the major European powers in order to find some support in saving his dying empire.

A lot has been going on in the former Western Roman Empire in the 300 years between 1100 and 1400!

Introducing the Hokey Cokey Emperor. Is he in power or out? In, out, in, out!

Fractious and incompetent behaviour from the ruling family plunge the Empire into crisis. It’s not going to get any better!

A brilliant general becomes Emperor of Nicaea. It only takes him a few years to regain the great city of Constantinople.  Unfortunately everyone is out to get him and it takes a lifetime of juggling to stabilise his empire.

Welcome to nearly sixty years of total and utter chaos. Four empires and at least twenty emperors fight, make alliances, break alliances and generally fail to get on. Something has to give!

The Angeli prove themselves to be so incompetent that the capital of the Empire cannot withstand the crusading armies.  Calamity results.

Andronicus Comnenus could not, quite obviously, be allowed to continue as Basileus. If only his demise, like that of Domitian for example, had been planned. Then, perhaps, the chaos and incompetence that followed could have been avoided.

Manuel Comnenus thinks big but is a bit to pro-western. His cousin, though, is an entirely different kettle of fish!

Introducing the new mythandhistory website. www.mythandhistory.co.uk

John the Beautiful fails to achieve all his aims as he goes and dies at exactly the wrong moment.  He is succeeded by his son: how will he do?