Nicéphore Ier
Nicéphore 1st Logothète (Greek: Νικηφορος ), born towards 760 and dead the July 25th 811, was Byzantine Empereur of 802 with 811.
Large logothète (superintendent of finances) of the empress Irene, it is related to the throne by a coup d'etat carried out by the high civil officers after having deposited the empress. He is thus proclaimed emperor the October 31st 802.
In spite of military qualities and as economic administrator, Nicéphore Ier is described by Théophane as being miserly and tyrannical.
In 803, it causes the rupture between the Empires Roman of the East and of Occident. There is faithful to the worship of the Images, while remaining moderate, but follows an aggressive policy against the clergy and causes the anger of the stoudites, which leave the official Church.
Nicéphore 1st engages a deep reform of finances: suppression of the freedoms from tax, prohibition of the loans deprived to the tradesmen, restriction of the loans on the ship-owners, imposition of the owners and tax on the heritages and the treasures. These measurements made it possible to cleanse finances of the Empire.
It extends the administration of the empire by creating several topics like the Thessalonique and transplants families of Asia Mineure in Greece.
It reorganizes the army, by imposing the military service to the poorer peasants the such Stratiote S and establishes sailors of them on plots of land.
Its policy of colonization of the slavized areas, restores the Byzantine domination in the Balkans, after the defeat of Slavic with Patras in 805. But, it cannot completely restore its domination on Venice in 809.
It rejects the claim of imperial title of Charlemagne but cannot prevent the catch of Venice by Pépin of Italy into 810.
Beaten by the Arabs, it must accept a treaty humiliating with Haroun Al-Rachid. It was overcome and killed on July 25th, 811, as well as most of its army by the Bulgarian khan Krum which made of its cranium a cut with drinking.
It had as a wife Procopia and had had:
- Staurakios, which will succeed
- to him another Procopia, married to Michel {{Ier}} Rangabé
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