1327-8--Andronicus III plots to oust his grandfather, who, in turn, invites Serbians to attack young Andronicus in the rear; young Andronicus besieges army of his grandfather and Serbians at Serres, and captures Salonika. Old Andronicus calls upon Bulgarians, but before their aid arrives, young Andronicus succeeds in entering Constantinople and deposing his grandfather. 1329--Andronicus III is defeated at Pelecanon by Orkhan in an attempt to relieve Nicaea. Nicaea surrenders. Andronicus III, at Phocaea, tries to incite emirs of Aïdin and Sarukhan to attack Orkhan. 1333--Turks of Sarukhan make a raid on Macedonia, while their vessels enter the Sea of Marmora and seize Rodosto. 1334--Andronicus is compelled to send army to save Salonika from raiding Turks. 1336--Andronicus asks Turkish emirs to help him in siege of Genoese at Phocaea. 1337 or 1338--Nicomedia and the last Byzantine possessions in north-western corner of Asia Minor are conquered by the Osmanlis. 1340--Stephen Dushan crosses the Vardar, captures Serres, and crowns himself there as ‘master of almost all the Roman Empire’. 1341--After death of Andronicus III, Cantacuzenos crowns himself at Demotika. 1342--Civil war between Cantacuzenos and widow and son of Andronicus III, during which both sides make overtures to Osmanlis, Serbians, and Bulgarians. 1345--Cantacuzenos receives aid from Orkhan, and pays for it by marrying his daughter to the Ottoman emir. 1347--Dushan crowns himself Emperor of Constantinople. Agreement between John Cantacuzenos and John Palaeologos to share Byzantine throne. Black Death plague reaches Constantinople. 1349--Cantacuzenos calls Osmanlis into Europe again to save Salonika from the Serbians. 1349-53--Civil war between Cantacuzenos and Palaeologos. Palaeologos flees to Tenedos. 1353--The Osmanlis, who had been helping Cantacuzenos against Palaeologos, capture Gallipoli, and invade Thrace. 1354--Cantacuzenos, having vainly appealed to the Pope, Venice, Bulgaria, and Serbia to aid him against the Osmanlis, is deposed by popular revolution in Constantinople, and becomes a monk. John Palaeologos recalled from exile. 1355--Dushan dies on his way to attack Constantinople. 1354-8--Palaeologos succeeds finally in subduing Cantacuzenos’ son Matthew. 1358--While Osmanlis are advancing in Thrace, John V, at command of Orkhan, is besieging Phocaea. 1361--Adrianople and Philippopolis captured by the Osmanlis. 1363--John V signs treaty of vassalage to Murad. 1366--John V journeys to Buda to enlist aid of Louis of Hungary, and on return journey is made prisoner by Sisman in Bulgaria. 1373--John V, seeing that his visit to Rome and his appeals to western princes are of no avail, recognizes Murad as his suzerain, promises to do military service in Murad’s army, and gives his son Manuel as hostage. Thrace and Macedonia are practically lost, and the Byzantine Empire has become merely the city state of Constantinople.