to render homage as ruler of Epirus as well, he refused. At the same time, the Byzantines took advantage of Nicholas' lack of legitimacy to occupy the northern part of the Epirote realm, including Ioannina, which declared itself for the Byzantine emperor as soon as the murder of Thomas became known. When Nicholas sent to Emperor Andronikos to seek recognition of his new status, the emperor agreed to award him the title of despot (in 1319/20) in exchange for Nicholas' pledge to recognize the loss of Ioannina. In the meantime, Nicholas tried to form an alliance with the Republic of Venice, which had wide-ranging commercial and political interests in the area. In May 1320 he sent ambassadors to Venice, offering to acknowledge Venetian overlordship and hand over either the lucrative fishing grounds of Lake Butrint, or the sugarcane plantations of Parga. Not wishing to alienate the Byzantines, the Venetians politely refused. Nevertheless, already in 1320, Nicholas began harassing the Byzantine domains in Epirus, and his ties to the Byzantine court ended when his wife Anna died in the same year. Following the outbreak of a Byzantine civil war shortly after, Nicholas saw an excellent opportunity to recover the Epirote to his north. Within a short time, he was besieging Ioannina. He was aided by the Venetians, who under the command of Giovanni Michiel opportunistically attacked the port of Valona. Nevertheless, both attacks were repulsed by the Byzantine garrisons. In Ioannina in particular, the local citizens eagerly participated in the defence of both their city and the extensive privileges granted to them by Andronikos II. Shortly after, in 1323, he was killed—either by murder or as a result of a brief conflict—by his brother John II Orsini. References Sources 1323 deaths 14th-century despots of Epirus Nicholas Christians of the Crusades Nicholas Year of birth unknown 13th-century births 14th-century murdered monarchs People of Byzantine descent 14th-century rulers in Europe Assassins of heads of state