Michael, reiterating his claim to the imperial…

Michael, reiterating his claim to the imperial title, has himself crowned sole emperor in the church of Hagia Sophia in August.

On his entrance in Constantinople, Michael abolishes all Latin customs and reinstates most Greek ceremonies and institutions as they had existed before the Fourth Crusade.

He is acutely aware of the danger posed by the possibility that the Latin West, particularly his neighbors in Italy (Charles I of Sicily, Pope Urban VI, and the Venetians) will unite against him and attempt the restoration of Latin rule here.