ANDRONICUS II  . (

PALAEOLOGUS) (1260-1332), eastern Roman emperor, was the elder son of Michael Palaeologus, whom he succeeded in 1282 . He allowed the fleet, which his father had organized, to fall into decay; and the empire was thus less able than ever to resist the exacting demands of the rival powers of Venice and Genoa . During his reign the Turks under Osman conquered nearly the whole of Bithynia; and to resist them the emperor called in the aid of Roger di Flor, who commanded a body of Spanish adventurers . The Turks were defeated, but Roger was found to be nearly as formidable an enemy to the imperial power . He was assassinated by Andronicus's son and colleague, the emperor Michael IX., in 1305 . His adventurers (known as the Catalan Grand Company) declared war upon Andronicus, and, after devastating Thrace and Macedonia, conquered the duchy of Athens and Thebes . From 1320 onwards the emperor was engaged in war with his grandson Andronicus (see below) . He abdicated in 1328 and died in 1332 .