Empire of Thessalonica

The Empire of Thessalonica was a short-lived Greek state and Byzantine successor, founded in 1224 and dissolved in 1246. Centered on the city of Thessalonica, it was ruled by the Komnenodoukas dynasty of the Despotate of Epirus. Under Theodore Komnenos Doukas, it rivaled the Empire of Nicaea and the Second Bulgarian Empire, aspiring to restore the Byzantine Empire. Its ascendancy ended with the Battle of Klokotnitsa in 1230, after which it became a Bulgarian vassal. The rulers bore the imperial title from 1225/7 until 1242, when they renounced it and recognized Nicaean suzerainty. The city was annexed by Nicaea in 1246.