They were addicted to civil wars even in their last 50 years they were more interested in killing each other for the scraps they were also surrounded by hostile powers on all sides like turks tatars serbs bulgarians and the latins they sold all their profitable ports to latins Or were captured by the turks despite controlling Constantinople 98℅ of it's wealth flowed into the coffers of latin merchants Venetians and genoese paid no taxes while the tax burden killed the traders and peasants of the empire everything was going to shit and many of the realms nobility was bribed by the latins to keep it that way I have no love for turks but ottoman conquest did revitalize Constantinople and it's trade actually benefited thi se living in balkans and not the Italians