The gradual conquest of the Principality by the Palaiologoi
Thereafter, for three years, Centurione could obtain no help from Genoa, pressed by the Duke of Milan on land and by the Crown of Aragon at sea. In 1417, the imperial army of Constantinople, led by the despot Theodore II Palaeologus and Emperor John VIII, invaded Achaea. They took Messenia and Elis and holed up Centurione in Glarentza, from which he fled by sea in the spring of 1418. Only by the mediation of the Venetians occupying Navarino was the prince able to secure a truce. In 1418, Olivier Franco, a former captain of the Toccos seized Glarentza and imprisoned Benedict Zaccaria, the brother of Centurione, along with his Asenina-Palaiologina princess and children expecting ransom for their release. Centurione was forced to give the hand of one of his daughters to the adventurer with Glarentza as her dower. However in 1421 Olivier sold Glarentza to Carlo Tocco and abandoned Greece.
In front of the danger of the Palaiologoi, at 1422, the family of Zaccarias, tried to arouse the interest of the Hospitallers of Rhodes for Morea overall and inform them about the intention of Stephen to offer Patras to their order. The Hospitallers in a letter that they addressed to Centurione, Stephen and also the despot Theodore II refused the offer as they didn't want to be again involved in the domestic business of Morea. They excused their denial by pointing out that they were occupied against the Turkish pirates of Asia Minor that recently had attacked Ephesus.
All that was left of the principality that once dominated Greece were the baronies of Chalandritsa and Arcadia, such as the ancestral castle of Chalandritsa and the castle of Kyparrisia that still hold out for the Zaccarias. During those hard times, Centurione and the Toccos approached one another against the Palaiologoi. Hopf suggested that Centurione married the niece of Carlo Tocco, a daughter of his brother Leonardo II, whom he names Creusa. However, more contemporary research has concluded that Creusa was married to Constantine XI Palaiologos and later renamed Theodora Tocco. Also Nada Zečević in his comprehensive history of the family of Toccos mentions nothing about a second marriage of Centurione to a Tocco lady and only notes the marriage of John Asen Zaccaria to a daughter of Leonardo Tocco. This last wedding is also plainly attested in the chronicle of George Sphrantzes. Neither the unknown author of the Chronicle of Toccos cites a Tocco princess marrying Centurione, even if this writer was greatly familiar with the relatives of Carlo I.
Its evident that the illegitimate son of Carlo, Ercule Tocco, assisted by a small group of Zaccaria soldiers unleashed raids against lands of the despotate of Morea. But in the same year, the despot of Mystras Theodore II and Centurione clashed over some disputed areas. Theodore II attacked Centurione and defeated him in battle. The prince was imprisoned for a short time and then was set free.
In 1429, Thomas Palaeologus besieged Centurione in Chalandritsa. The prince resisted for some time but eventually he surrendered. Thomas forced him to a treaty whereby his daughter, Catherine, would marry the despot and thus make him Centurione's heir in Achaea. Centurione was allowed to keep his inheritance, the barony of Arcadia. Centurione retired to Arcadia in 1430, after the marriage was finalised. He died there two years later in 1432. He was still hoping in vain for Genoese aid. His domains passed to the despotate of Morea and into Byzantine hands. A source reports that Thomas cut the feet and hands of Centurione after his final defeat.
John Asen Zaccaria, the first born son of Centurione, at 1453 revived the title of the Prince of Achaea during the great Morean revolt and unlike Thomas was recognised by the great Western powers of the time as the only legitimate Prince. These were the Kingdom of Naples with Alfonso V of Aragon styling John as "Prince Centurione III", Venice and the Papacy in Rome.
From the reign of Centurione survives a document, where we see the prince assigning lands, vineyards, trees and servants to Egidio de Leonessa and his descendants.
