Nikephoros I
Encyclopedia
Nikephoros I or Nicephorus I, Logothetes or Genikos (Greek
: Νικηφόρος Α΄, Nikēphoros I, "Bringer of Victory"; died July 26, 811) was Byzantine emperor from 802 to 811, when he was killed in the Battle of Pliska
.
A patrician from Seleucia Sidera
, Nikephoros was appointed finance minister (logothetēs tou genikou
) by the Empress Irene
. With the help of the patricians and eunuch
s he contrived to dethrone and exile Irene, and to be chosen emperor in her stead on October 31, 802. He crowned his son Staurakios
co-emperor in 803.
His rule was endangered by Bardanes Tourkos
, one of his ablest generals, who revolted and received support from other commanders, notably the later emperors Leo V the Armenian
and Michael II the Amorian
in 803.
But Nikephoros gained over the latter two, and by inducing the rebel army to disperse achieved the submission of Bardanes, who was blinded and relegated to a monastery
. A conspiracy headed by the patrician Arsaber
had a similar issue.
Nikephoros embarked on a general reorganization of the empire, creating new themes in the Balkans
(where he initiated the re-Hellenization by resettling Greeks
from Anatolia
) and strengthening the frontiers. Needing large sums to increase his military forces, he set himself with great energy to increase the empire's revenue. By his rigorous tax imposts he alienated the favour of his subjects, and especially of the clergy, whom he otherwise sought to control firmly. Although he appointed an iconodule, Nikephoros as patriarch
, Emperor Nikephoros was portrayed as a villain
by ecclesiastical historians like Theophanes the Confessor
.
In 803 Nikephoros concluded a treaty, called the Pax Nicephori
, with Charlemagne
, but refused to recognize the latter's imperial dignity. Relations deteriorated and led to a war over Venice
in 806–810. In the process Nikephoros had quelled a Venetian rebellion in 807, but suffered extensive losses to the Franks. The conflict was resolved only after Nikephoros' death, and Venice, Istria
, the Dalmatia
n coast and South Italy
were assigned to the East, while Rome
, Ravenna
and the Pentapolis
were included in the Western realm.
By withholding the tribute which Irene had agreed to pay to the caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd
, Nikephoros committed himself to a war against the Arabs. Compelled by Bardanes' disloyalty to take the field himself, he sustained a severe defeat at the Battle of Krasos
in Phrygia
(805). In 806 a Muslim
army of 15,000 men invaded the empire against Nikephoros with 125,000 men. In the battle the emperor was wounded, and 40,000 of his men were killed. He agreed to make peace on condition of paying 50,000 nomismata immediately and a yearly tribute of 30,000 nomismata. With a succession struggle enveloping the caliphate on the death of Hārūn al-Rashīd in 809, Nikephoros was free to deal with Krum, Khan of Bulgaria, who was harassing his northern frontiers and had just conquered Serdica (Sofia
).
In 811 Nikephoros invaded Bulgaria
, defeated Krum twice, and sacked the Bulgarian capital Pliska
; however, during Nikephoros' retreat, the Byzantine army was ambushed and destroyed in the mountain passes on July 26
by Krum. Nikephoros was killed in the battle, the second Roman emperor to suffer this fate since Valens
in the Battle of Adrianople
(August 9, 378). Krum is said to have made a drinking-cup
of Nikephoros' skull.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Νικηφόρος Α΄, Nikēphoros I, "Bringer of Victory"; died July 26, 811) was Byzantine emperor from 802 to 811, when he was killed in the Battle of Pliska
Battle of Pliska
The Battle of Pliska or Battle of Vărbitsa Pass was a series of battles between troops, gathered from all parts of the Byzantine Empire, led by the Emperor Nicephorus I Genik, and Bulgaria, governed by Khan Krum...
.
A patrician from Seleucia Sidera
Seleucia Sidera
Seleucia Sidera – , also transliterated as Seleuceia, Seleukeia, Seleukheia; Σελεύκεια η Σίδηρα, Seleukeia hê Sidêra; and later Claudioseleucia, Claudioseleuceia, Klaudiaseleukeôn or Klaudisseleukeôn – was an ancient city in the northern part of Pisidia, Anatolia, currently the site of...
, Nikephoros was appointed finance minister (logothetēs tou genikou
Logothetes tou genikou
The logothetēs tou genikou , often called genikos logothetēs or simply ho genikos , and usually rendered in English as the General Logothete, was in charge of the "general financial ministry", the genikon [logothesion] of the middle Byzantine Empire.-History and functions:The genikon was...
) by the Empress Irene
Irene (empress)
Irene Sarantapechaina , known as Irene of Athens or Irene the Athenian was a Byzantine empress regnant from 797 to 802, having previously been empress consort from 775 to 780, and empress dowager and regent from 780 to 797. It is often claimed she called herself "basileus" , 'emperor'...
. With the help of the patricians and eunuch
Eunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
s he contrived to dethrone and exile Irene, and to be chosen emperor in her stead on October 31, 802. He crowned his son Staurakios
Staurakios
Staurakios or Stauracius was Byzantine emperor from July 26 to October 2, 811 in succession to his father, Nikephoros I, who had fallen at the Battle of Pliska...
co-emperor in 803.
His rule was endangered by Bardanes Tourkos
Bardanes Tourkos
Bardanes, nicknamed Tourkos, "the Turk" , was a Byzantine general of Armenian origin who launched an unsuccessful rebellion against Emperor Nikephoros I in 803. Although a major supporter of Byzantine empress Irene of Athens , soon after her overthrow he was appointed by Nikephoros as...
, one of his ablest generals, who revolted and received support from other commanders, notably the later emperors Leo V the Armenian
Leo V the Armenian
Leo V the Armenian was emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 813 to 820. A senior general, he forced his predecessor, Michael I Rangabe, to abdicate and assumed the throne. He ended the decade-long war with the Bulgars, and initiated the second period of Byzantine Iconoclasm...
and Michael II the Amorian
Michael II
Michael II , surnamed the Amorian or the Stammerer , reigned as Byzantine emperor from December 820 to his death on 2 October 829, and the first ruler of the Phrygian or Amorian dynasty....
in 803.
But Nikephoros gained over the latter two, and by inducing the rebel army to disperse achieved the submission of Bardanes, who was blinded and relegated to a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. A conspiracy headed by the patrician Arsaber
Arsaber
Arsaber , was a Byzantine noble who attempted an unsuccessful usurpation of the Byzantine imperial throne in 808.Arsaber was a noble of Armenian origin, holding the rank of patrikios, and had served as quaestor. In February 808, a group of secular and ecclesiastic officials, who were dissatisfied...
had a similar issue.
Nikephoros embarked on a general reorganization of the empire, creating new themes in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
(where he initiated the re-Hellenization by resettling Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
from Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
) and strengthening the frontiers. Needing large sums to increase his military forces, he set himself with great energy to increase the empire's revenue. By his rigorous tax imposts he alienated the favour of his subjects, and especially of the clergy, whom he otherwise sought to control firmly. Although he appointed an iconodule, Nikephoros as patriarch
Patriarch of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarch is the Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome – ranking as primus inter pares in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which is seen by followers as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church....
, Emperor Nikephoros was portrayed as a villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
by ecclesiastical historians like Theophanes the Confessor
Theophanes the Confessor
Saint Theophanes Confessor was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy, who became a monk and chronicler. He is venerated on March 12 in the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church .-Biography:Theophanes was born in Constantinople of wealthy and noble iconodule parents: Isaac,...
.
In 803 Nikephoros concluded a treaty, called the Pax Nicephori
Pax Nicephori
Pax Nicephori is a term used to refer to both a 803 peace treaty allegedly concluded between the Frankish ruler Charlemagne and Nikephoros I, emperor of Byzantium, and the outcome of negotiations that took place between the same parties, but were concluded by different emperors, between 811 and 814...
, with Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, but refused to recognize the latter's imperial dignity. Relations deteriorated and led to a war over Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in 806–810. In the process Nikephoros had quelled a Venetian rebellion in 807, but suffered extensive losses to the Franks. The conflict was resolved only after Nikephoros' death, and Venice, Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
, the Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n coast and South Italy
South Italy
South Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency. South Italy encompasses six of the country's 20 regions:*Abruzzo...
were assigned to the East, while Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
and the Pentapolis
Pentapolis
A pentapolis, from the Greek words , "five" and , "city" is a geographic and/or institutional grouping of five cities...
were included in the Western realm.
By withholding the tribute which Irene had agreed to pay to the caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd
Harun al-Rashid
Hārūn al-Rashīd was the fifth Arab Abbasid Caliph in Iraq. He was born in Rey, Iran, close to modern Tehran. His birth date remains a point of discussion, though, as various sources give the dates from 763 to 766)....
, Nikephoros committed himself to a war against the Arabs. Compelled by Bardanes' disloyalty to take the field himself, he sustained a severe defeat at the Battle of Krasos
Battle of Krasos
The Battle of Krasos was a battle in the Byzantine-Arab Wars which took place in 804/805.Nikephoros I, the Finance Minister of Byzantine Empress Irene of Athens, contrived to dethrone and exile her, and to be chosen emperor in her stead on October 31, 802. He crowned his son Staurakios co-emperor...
in Phrygia
Phrygia
In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Phrygians initially lived in the southern Balkans; according to Herodotus, under the name of Bryges , changing it to Phruges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the...
(805). In 806 a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
army of 15,000 men invaded the empire against Nikephoros with 125,000 men. In the battle the emperor was wounded, and 40,000 of his men were killed. He agreed to make peace on condition of paying 50,000 nomismata immediately and a yearly tribute of 30,000 nomismata. With a succession struggle enveloping the caliphate on the death of Hārūn al-Rashīd in 809, Nikephoros was free to deal with Krum, Khan of Bulgaria, who was harassing his northern frontiers and had just conquered Serdica (Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
).
In 811 Nikephoros invaded Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, defeated Krum twice, and sacked the Bulgarian capital Pliska
Pliska
Pliska is the name of both the first capital of Danubian Bulgaria and a small town which was renamed after the historical Pliska after its site was determined and excavations began....
; however, during Nikephoros' retreat, the Byzantine army was ambushed and destroyed in the mountain passes on July 26
Battle of Pliska
The Battle of Pliska or Battle of Vărbitsa Pass was a series of battles between troops, gathered from all parts of the Byzantine Empire, led by the Emperor Nicephorus I Genik, and Bulgaria, governed by Khan Krum...
by Krum. Nikephoros was killed in the battle, the second Roman emperor to suffer this fate since Valens
Valens
Valens was the Eastern Roman Emperor from 364 to 378. He was given the eastern half of the empire by his brother Valentinian I after the latter's accession to the throne...
in the Battle of Adrianople
Battle of Adrianople
The Battle of Adrianople , sometimes known as the Battle of Hadrianopolis, was fought between a Roman army led by the Roman Emperor Valens and Gothic rebels led by Fritigern...
(August 9, 378). Krum is said to have made a drinking-cup
Skull cup
A skull cup is a drinking vessel or eating bowl made from an inverted human calvaria that has been cut away from the rest of the skull. The use of a human skull as a drinking cup in ritual use or as a trophy is reported in numerous sources throughout history and among various peoples, and among...
of Nikephoros' skull.
Family
By an unknown wife Nikephoros I had at least two children:- StaurakiosStaurakiosStaurakios or Stauracius was Byzantine emperor from July 26 to October 2, 811 in succession to his father, Nikephoros I, who had fallen at the Battle of Pliska...
, who succeeded as emperor. - ProkopiaProkopiaProkopia was the Empress consort of Michael I Rangabe of the Byzantine Empire.-Family:She was a daughter of Nikephoros I. The name of her mother is not known. Her only known sibling is Staurakios.-Marriage:...
, who married Michael I RangabeMichael I RangabeMichael I Rangabes was Byzantine Emperor from 811 to 813.Michael was the son of the patrician Theophylaktos Rangabes, the admiral of the Aegean fleet...
, emperor 811–813.