Nicephorus I

Nicephorus I (also known as Nikephoros I) was Byzantine emperor from 802 to 811.

Background and Accession

A few historians believe Nicephorus was related to the Ghassanids, an Arab tribe. If this is true, then one of them moved to Pisidia where Nicephorus was born. Otherwise, he was born to a Byzantine-Anatolian family of some importance.

Accession

Nicephorus was made finance minister by Empress Irene of Athens. However the people in her court weren't so happy with the fact she was going to marry Charlemagne to end the problem of two Roman Emperors. Nicephorus began to plan an uprising with his supporters. Irene's guards joined Nicephorus and surrounded her. She was captured and held in the Great Palace of Constantinople while Nicephorus was crowned emperor by the patriarch. Irene was sent to Prinkipo, and then moved to Lesbos.

Reign

Nicephorus began reorganizing the empire by moving poor people to the Byzantine themes of Asia Minor, Thrace, Macedonia, and Greece. He also fixed the army and raised taxes, making his people mad. To make sure they wouldn't revolt and his family would rule after his death, he crowned his son Staurakios co-emperor. His general Bardanes revolted but two of the generals of Bardanes ( Leo V the Armenian and Michael II ) switched sides. Bardanes was blinded.

Issues with the Church

When the patriarch who crowned him died in 806, he was replaced with an icondule layman named Nikephoros to become the patriarch. Groups of monks grew hostile towards him, as they were iconoclasts. However, before Irene was deposed, her son Constantine VI had sent his previous wife Maria to become a nun because she tried to poison him. He then married a woman named Theodote, which was adultery in the eyes of the church. Now however, Nicephorus declared the marriage lawful. After banishing many monks and taxing their orders, the church did not like him.

Campaign in Italy

Charlemagne declared Venice Frankish territory under his son, Pepin of Italy in 802. The Byzantines owned this territory since the conquests of Belisarius, so Nicephorus sent his fleet. The Doge of Venice accepted a Byzantine title and Nicephorus signed the Pax Nicephori with Charlemagne but didn't recognize his claim to be Rome. The two became enemies again, war was waged in 807, and although Nicephorus started successfully, he would have many losses to the Franks. The issue would be solved after his death, however.

Campaign against the Arabs

Nicephorus sent insulting words to Caliph Harun al-Rashid, telling him to return the money Empress Irene gave him. He also stopped paying the Arabs money. Then, he declared war. Since Bardanes was dead and he couldn't trust anyone, he led the army himself and lost in the disastrous Battle of Krasos. Harun forced the emperor to pay him 30,000 Dinars in 805. The next year, Harun led the army into Byzantine territory. Nicephorus agreed to peace for 50,000 nomismata and an annual tribute of 30,000 nomismata. Harun died in 809 and the Abbasid Caliphate fell into a Succession crisis. Then, to support his plans to invade Bulgaria, he drafted many peasants and raised taxes to fund his army.

Campaign against the Bulgars

Nicephorus began a successful invasion into Bulgaria. The Bulgars had been raiding the Balkans for years now,and now they were pushed back. The Bulgar capital of Pliska was sacked, and Nicephorus killed civilians and children alike. Khan Krum was pushed to the mountains and decided to round one last force against the Byzantines. Women, children, and his allies joined him for battle. They surrounded him at the Varbitsa Pass, and the Battle of Pliska begun. The battle was known as one of the greatest Byzantine disasters, along with Manzikert and Yarmouk. A majority of the army perished, including Nicephorus. The rest escaped with his son, who would be overthrown not to long after the battle. Krum beheaded the body of Nicephorus and turned his skull into a drinking cup.

Legacy

With this defeat, his dynasty would be overthrown and replaced with the Amorian dynasty, who would see successes against the Bulgars and Arabs.