Empire of Thessalonica

Empire of Thessalonica
1224–1246
Conquests of the Komnenodoukas dynasty of Epirus until the Battle of Klokotnitsa
Status	Vassal of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1230–37) and of the Empire of Nicaea (1242–46)
Capital	Thessalonica
Common languages	Greek
Religion	Greek Orthodoxy (official)[1]
Government	Monarchy
Emperor, after 1242 Despot
• 1224–1230	Theodore Komnenos Doukas
• 1244–1246	Demetrios Angelos Doukas
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Epirus conquest of Thessalonika	1224
• Fall of Thessalonica to Nicaea	1246
Preceded by Succeeded by Despotate of Epirus Kingdom of Thessalonica Despotate of Epirus Empire of Nicaea

The Empire of Thessalonica is a historiographic term used by some modern scholars^[2] to refer to the short-lived Byzantine Greek state centred on the city of Thessalonica between 1224 and 1246 (sensu stricto until 1242) and ruled by the Komnenodoukas dynasty of Epirus. At the time of its establishment during the struggle for Constantinople, the Empire of Thessalonica, under the capable Theodore Komnenos Doukas, rivaled the Empire of Nicaea and the Second Bulgarian Empire as the strongest state in the region, and aspired to capturing Constantinople, putting an end to the Latin Empire, and restoring the Byzantine Empire that had been extinguished in 1204.

Thessalonica's ascendancy was brief, ending with the disastrous Battle of Klokotnitsa against Bulgaria in 1230, where Theodore Komnenos Doukas was captured. Reduced to a Bulgarian vassal, Theodore's brother and successor Manuel Komnenos Doukas was unable to prevent the loss of most of his brother's conquests in Macedonia and Thrace, while the original nucleus of the state, Epirus, broke free under Michael II Komnenos Doukas. Theodore recovered Thessalonica in 1237, installing his son John Komnenos Doukas, and after him Demetrios Angelos Doukas, as rulers of the city, while Manuel, with Nicaean support, seized Thessaly. The rulers of Thessalonica bore the imperial title from 1225/7 until 1242, when they were forced to renounce it and recognize the suzerainty of the rival Empire of Nicaea. The Komnenodoukai continued to rule as Despots of Thessalonica for four more years after that, but in 1246 the city was annexed by Nicaea.