In 1261, the empire of Byzantium was re-established in Constantinople under Michael VIII Palaiologos. Twenty years later, the emperors of Trebizond still refused to give up their claim to that title even when Constantinople, New Rome, had gone to Palaiologos. The following were Palaiologos's actions to humble and convince John II, emperor of Trebizond, here called the princeling of the Laz, a people within his empire that Pachymeres considered barbarians.

34. About the Laz princeling John and how the sovereign made him his son-in-law.

The emperor not only put his own men in proper order, but also was concerned to abase those not owing him any obedience who had become overmighty. Some, he cut down to size by the sword, who chanced and happened to have autonomy while other times he caused them to overleap the mark and give in to the exactitudes of imperial rule learning themselves to be in danger. Many a time hence, he sent messages to the Laz princeling, John, who swaggered about in the insignia of an emperor though the title of emperor did not belong to him, telling him to do as he wished with his authority, but refrain from using the titles and insignia of an emperor, since it was not appropriate for him to call himself with such a high and prestigious honor of the whole when he held only a part and he, Michael was emperor upon the imperial throne and city, and so not bring confusion to the imperial rank. After trying this many times, he accomplished nothing of substance, nor had he any prospect of being able to accomplish anything. For that barbarian was excessively proud and overlooked his commands and put forward some claims of his own that it was not his to act in since he had received it from his forefathers. Besides that, he said that his men would not permit him to thus lay down his forefather's honor, which had fallen to him after so long a time or themselves to be made inglorious with him being deprived of even a part of the renown of an emperor, since there would lesser significance attached than the greater going with the imperial buskins and imperial title. It was, he said, a window for being looked down upon, degradation, and a sign of peace yielding to all else.

And so, the emperor decided to bring John about in some other way especially because he was young on the throne. And so, taking care and trying to rebuff any suspicions and not make it seem like he was telling him to do away with his right to the imperial title --he himself would not desire to give up his children‘s rights--, he decided to send ambassadors from amongst his greatest and wisest men so that with a person so ranked his words would have credibility and he would also have the knowledge of letters enough to persuade him and ease all suspicions for the worse. Consequently, he dispatched the grand logothete Akropolites, who was still alive, and the grand oikonomos of the Church, Xiphilinos, to convince him and his men of the advantages of becoming engaged to the emperor's third daughter Eudokia whom he wanted to marry to John. They were to persuade him and his court first them to permit the youth to go to the emperor and then him with warranted hopes of the benefits to be got from agreeing confidently to it.

Such were the emperor's actions. However, they were able neither to prevail over them on the whole, nor bring him round to it, since for many years prior their rulers had intermarried with their neighbors and amongst themselves, so they thought the emperor was far off and preferred to choose what would bring them the best measurable benefits. Since the ambassadors could not persuade them with wily counsels, saying that their mission had taken second place for them, they returned home to the emperor, having accomplished nothing on the whole. But the emperor did not give up trying and sent off frequent messages one threatening, another holding out as bait the advantages to be got from him should they give in and come forward. In the end, he sent his logothete of the household, Iatropoulos, and a presbyter of the Church with him, the former to act as a messenger offering the honor and advantages to be got from the emperor, while the latter was to was to answer and give credence to what he said since with the Church present through him, naturally knowing nothing, to persuade him there was no deception, easing suspicions, and judge if he should have a child with her and want trouble.

This said, they persuaded him and swore solemn oaths that John would indeed become the emperor’s son-in-law, would get many benefits, and that his retinue would be received well, then boarding a long boat and heading for the City. As the emperor happened to be away at that present time being at Lopadion having gone on this trip to secure the places along the Sangaris well as on this account to fortify the heights of the city of Achyra, when he reached the Roman border, the ambassadors inspired John's retainers to strip him of the crimson buskins and clothe his feet with black ones since the emperor would soon confer an honor on him. For it had been agreed by them that he was to be arrayed with symbols of a despot, which would pass on to his child, so that he would still have preeminence. Switching the full crimson to ones of purple and crimson should not be unbefitting rather than appearing disgruntling to the emperor.

This said and done, they continued on their way to the City and disembarked near the harbor of Keras, where they were entertained extravagantly in the houses of the residents of the city. After recovering some days from seasickness and receiving the emperor's bequests, they went to Lopadion. There they were quite friendlily welcomed, boarded a boat, and came to the City. The marriage ceremonies of his daughter he had to rush because the Tochari were reported to be coming out of the west whom he welcomed and honored Nogan sending him off against the sebastokrator John. So at the end of the marriage making month [September according to the abbreviated history of Pachymeres] he celebrated his daughter's marriage. All of the deer-shooting month [October] he spent fitting out his forces and preparing to march.