1391--Manuel, serving as vassal in Ottoman army, is threatened with loss of eyes, if Emperor John does not demolish the towers on the walls of Constantinople, which he has rebuilt. He obeys and dies soon after. Manuel escapes from Brusa upon learning of his father’s death. His flight is followed by the first Ottoman siege of Constantinople.
1396--Bayezid contemplates taking Constantinople by assault, but is deterred by arrival of crusaders in Hungary.
1397--Siege of Constantinople is renewed, after Nicopolis.
1399--Crusade of Boucicaut helps Byzantines temporarily.
1400-2--Manuel, having made peace with his nephew John, sails for Italy and spends two years in fruitless endeavour to get aid from western princes.
1401--John makes treaty to give up Constantinople, if Bayezid should win from Timur.
1402--After Bayezid’s defeat at Angora, Manuel returns to Constantinople.
John is banished to Lemnos, and Ottoman colonists expelled from Constantinople. Overtures are made to Timur.
1403--Manuel recognizes Soleiman as successor of Bayezid, and renews treaty with him.
VI. RELATIONS BETWEEN VENICE AND GENOA AND THE LEVANT FROM 1300 TO 1403
1328--Venetian sovereignty of Negropont is menaced by Turkish pirates.
1344--Venice aids Cyprus and Rhodes in the capture of Smyrna.
1345-50--Dushan negotiates frequently with Venice for aid in capturing Constantinople.
1351-3--War between Venice and Genoa. Sea power of Genoa is broken at battle of Lojera. Genoese are assisted by Orkhan.
1355--Matteo Venier and Marino Faleri warn the Senate that the Byzantine Empire must inevitably become the booty of the Osmanlis, unless Venice gets ahead of them.
1361--Venetian Senate make overtures to John V for alliance against Murad, but withdraw when they see the rapid success of Murad’s campaign in Thrace.
1370-1--Venice and Greece are engaged in a struggle for economic supremacy in Cyprus.
1375--John V gives Tenedos to the Venetians. The Genoese come into conflict with the Venetians over economic privileges at Constantinople.
1379-81--Venice and Genoa go to war over the question of Tenedos and the Byzantine succession to the throne. In the Peace of Turin, it is provided that Tenedos remain unfortified, and that Andronicus IV be recognized the heir to John V.