Andreas Palaiologos

Andreas Palaiologos (1453 – 1502) was a titular heir of the Byzantine Empire, and a member of the Templar Order.

Andreas and his family moved to Rome, Italy during his childhood. Andreas and his brother Manuel soon became familiar with the Templar Order and joined their ranks, hoping to restore the fallen Byzantine Empire that had been crushed by the Ottomans in 1453. In the process, Andreas became a friend of Grand Master Rodrigo Borgia, and an acquaintance of Cem, the brother of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II who was under house arrest in Italy.

While at first supporting the Palaiologoi in their attempt to retake Constantinople from the Ottoman Empire, Rodrigo Borgia's interest in doing so had severely waned by the 1490s. Eventually, Andreas' quest to return to power came to an ignominious end when he died a pauper in Rome in 1502. Manuel, however, continued his quest to reclaim the Byzantine throne.

Trivia

• Andreas is a Greek name meaning "manly." Palaiologos is a combination of Greek words palaios, "old, ancient" and logos, "word, speech, discourse."

Reference

• Assassin's Creed: Revelations