The Despotate of Epirus was one of the successor states of the Byzantine Empire when it disintegrated following the Fourth Crusade's capture of Constantinople in 1204 CE. It was originally the most successful of those successor states, coming close to recapturing Constantinople, but after 1230 CE, it was geographically limited to Epirus itself and occasionally the neighboring territories of Thessaly and the Ionian islands. For the next two centuries, Epirus mostly maintained its independence, although it had to navigate being at the end of the Byzantine and Italian spheres of influence. Finally, in 1479 CE, the last territories of the Despotate of Epirus were conquered by the Ottoman Empire.
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Definition
Timeline
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1205 - 1215Reign of Michael I Komnenos Doukas in Epirus.
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1205 - 1479Despotate of Epirus.
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1215 - 1230Reign of Theodore I Komnenos Doukas in Epirus.
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1217Theodore I Komnenos Doukas of Epirus captures Peter of Courtenay, the Latin Emperor.
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1224Theodore I Komnenos Doukas of Epirus recaptures Thessalonica from the Latins.
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1227Theodore I Komnenos Doukas crowned the Emperor of Thessalonica in Ohrid.
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1230 - 1241Reign of Manuel Komnenos Doukas in Thessalonica (1230-1237 CE) and Thessaly (1230-1241 CE).
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1230 - c. 1267Reign of Michael II Komnenos Doukas, Despot of Epirus.
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1230Battle of Klokotnitsa, in which the Bulgarian army under Tsar Ivan Asen II defeated Theodore Komennos Doukas, Despot of Epirus.
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1237 - 1244Reign of John Komnenos Doukas in Thessalonica.
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1242The Empire of Thessalonica is forced to submit as a despotate to the Empire of Nicaea.
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1244 - 1246Reign of Demetrios Komnenos Doukas in Thessalonica.
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1246The Empire of Nicaea conquers Thessalonica.
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1257Manfred of Sicily invades the Despotate of Epirus and conquers Durazzo, Corfu, Valona, Kanina, and Berat.
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1259Battle of Pelagonia: Byzantine forces defeat the combined armies of the Principality of Achaea and Manfred of Sicily. Epirote forces withdraw before the battle.
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1264Peace treaty between the Byzantine Empire and the Despotate of Epirus.
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c. 1267 - 1297Reign of Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas, Despot of Epirus.
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1297 - 1318Reign of Thomas Komnenos Doukas, Despot of Epirus.
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1318Thomas Komnenos Doukas, Despot of Epirus, is murdered by his nephew, Count Nicholas Orsini of Cephalonia.
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1318 - 1323Reign of Nicholas Orsini, Despot of Epirus.
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1318The city of Ioannina joins the Byzantine Empire.
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1323 - 1335Reign of John II Orsini, Despot of Epirus.
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1325John II Orsini, Despot of Epirus, is dethroned as Count of Cephalonia.
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1333Brief occupation of land in Thessaly by the Despotate of Epirus.
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1335 - 1340Reign of Nikephoros II Orsini, Despot of Epirus.
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1338Anna, widow of John II Orsini, signs over the Despotate of Epirus to the Byzantine Empire.
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1340Byzantine forces defeat the Epirote rebels under Nikephoros II Orsini, reincorporating the territory into the Byzantine Empire.
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c. 1348Serbian forces under Stefan Dusan conquer Epirus.
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1356 - 1359Second reign of Nikephoros II Orsini, Despot of Epirus.
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1359 - 1367Reign of Symeon Uros over Ioannina.
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1367 - 1384Reign of Thomas Preljubovic in Ioannina.
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1385 - 1411Reign of Esau Buondelmonti in Ioannina.
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1399Esau Buondelmonti, Despot of Ioannina, is captured by Albanians.
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1400 - 1408Carlo I Tocco, Count of Cephalonia, conquers Akarnania and Aitolia from the Albanians.
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1411Carlo I Tocco is proclaimed the lord of Ioannina.
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1412Battle of Kranea: Albanian forces defeat Carlo I Tocco, Count of Cephalonia.
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1415Manuel II Palaiologos grants the title of despot of Epirus to Carlo I Tocco, Count of Cephalonia.
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1416Carlo I Tocco conquers the city of Arta, reuniting the Despotate of Epirus.
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1421 - 1426Carlo I Tocco, Despot of Epirus, attempts to conquer the Principality of Achaea, but is defeated by Byzantine forces.
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1429 - 1448Reign of Carlo II Tocco in Epirus.
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1430Ioannina surrenders to the Ottoman Empire.
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1448 - 1479Reign of Leonardo III Tocco in Epirus.
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1449Arta is conquered by the Ottoman Empire.
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1479The Ottoman Empire conquers the remaining territory of the Despotate of Epirus: Vonitsa, Cephalonia, Ithaka, Zante, and Lefkada.
