Very little is known about Chandrenos, as his life and deeds are recorded only in an oration to Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos of his possible relative Thomas Magistros, composed to defend him from accusations of treason sometime in the 1310s.
Here Chandrenos was credited with helping repel the Catalans' attack on Thessalonica, the Byzantine Empire's second-largest city, probably by raiding their siege lines.
After the Catalans abandoned the siege of the city in early 1309, his expeditions confined them to their base in Kassandreia, cutting their supplies and putting an end to their devastating raids in the surrounding countryside, which had even threatened the monasteries of Mount Athos.
[6][7] In the meantime, in 1309 Chandrenos had defeated and driven off a Serbian invasion of Macedonia, assisted by 1,500 Turks who under their leader Malik had deserted the Catalan Company and sought refuge in Serbia.
1310/11) Chandrenos was in Constantinople, where he was accused by members of the imperial court of treason—probably as a result of jealousy over his military successes—and was defended before the emperor by Thomas Magistros.