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Thomas Palaiologos

Type Figure Region Byzantine Empire Time 1409–1465 Also known as Thomas of Morea

Byzantine imperial prince and one of the last despots of Morea (1428–1460), youngest son of Manuel II and brother of Constantine XI.

Timeline

  1. 1428–1449Mistra · PeloponneseCo-ruled Morea with his brother Constantine and Theodore; in 1432 married Catherine Zaccaria, heiress of Achaea, incorporating the remaining Latin lands of Achaea into Byzantium. Built the Hexamilion wall and reorganized defenses, making Morea a major late-Byzantine cultural center.
  2. 1453–1460Peloponnese · PeloponneseAfter the fall of Constantinople he upheld a pro-Western, crusade-seeking line, clashing fiercely with his pro-Ottoman brother Demetrius. Their civil strife weakened Greece's last stronghold, leading to Mehmed II's conquest of Morea in 1460.
  3. 1460–1465Rome · RomeHis family first took refuge in Venetian Methoni and Corfu; Thomas himself went to Rome for protection and was recognized by Pope Pius II as 'Emperor of Constantinople'. He converted to Catholicism to win Western aid, but hopes of recovering Morea never materialized; he died in Rome in 1465, and his eldest son Andreas inherited the imperial claim.

Sources