The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · Character
Andronicus III Palaeologus
Also known as Andronicus III, younger Andronicus, Andronicus the Younger
- Supporting
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 278
There's something tragic about the way age has claimed him before his time—the marks of youthful intemperance written clearly on features that should still show vigor. His presence suggests both the promise of power and its cost.
- Gender
- male
- Age
- 45 years at death
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 278
- Books
- 1
Andronicus III Palaeologus ascended as the younger emperor, corrupted by infant greatness and driven by puerile impatience for power. His ambition was not for fame or the happiness of his people, but for wealth and impunity—the most precious attributes of monarchy in his eyes. As he advanced in manhood, he began to act independently, his rising ambition stimulated rather than checked by his father's vices. He would ultimately be vanquished by Orchan and lose Bithynia, dying at forty-five, old before his time due to the intemperance of youth that had accelerated the infirmities of age.
Description
Andronicus III presents the appearance of a man aged prematurely by the excesses of youth, with features marked by the intemperance that has brought early infirmity. His dark hair and countenance show the stress of both ambition and its consequences. His imperial purple robes mark his status as Byzantine Emperor, while his bearing reflects the weight of a ruler who has known both the heights of power and the consequences of its misuse.
Story so far
BOOK 1The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire / Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes)
Appearances
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