'', probably drawn from an earlier unrelated source. in 813. '' of Michael I Rangabe and his son Theophylact Michael was the son of the patrician
Theophylact Rhangabe, the admiral of the
Aegean fleet. The Rangabe family was of
Greek origin. He married
Prokopia, the daughter of the future Emperor
Nikephoros I, and received the high
court dignity of
Kouropalates after his father-in-law's accession in 802. Michael survived Nikephoros I's disastrous campaign against Khan
Krum of Bulgaria, and was considered a more appropriate candidate for the throne than his severely injured brother-in-law
Staurakios, who was proclaimed emperor by the military in the hope that he would recover. When Michael's wife Prokopia failed to persuade her brother Staurakios, who wanted to have him
blinded, to name Michael as his successor, a group of senior officials (the
magistros Theoktistos,
Domestic of the Schools Stephen, and Patriarch
Nicephorus I of Constantinople) forced Staurakios to abdicate in his favour on 2 October 811. Michael was proclaimed emperor before the senate and the
tagmata. Michael I attempted to carry out a policy of reconciliation, abandoning the exacting taxation instituted by Nikephoros I. While reducing imperial income, Michael generously distributed money to the army, the bureaucracy, and the church. Ruling with the support of the
iconodule party in the Church, Michael I diligently persecuted the
iconoclasts and forced Patriarch Nicephorus I to back down in his dispute with
Theodore the Stoudite, the influential abbot of the
monastery of Stoudios. He revoked the exile of Theodore the Stoudites effected by Emperor Nikephoros I, and Theodore became his close confidant. Michael I's piety won him a very positive estimation in the work of the chronicler
Theophanes the Confessor. Theophanes also mentions the existence of a group of
heretics known as
Athinganoi in
Phrygia, who were most likely the successors of the
Montanists, who Emperor
Leo III the Isaurian () attempted to convert by force, as well as of the
Paulicians. Patriarch Nicephorus I pressed Michael I to organise the persecution and execution of the
Athinganoi, Paulicians and
iconoclast abbots. But when Nicephorus I insisted the heretics be given time to repent, Michael I halted the killings. In 812, Michael reopened negotiations with the
Franks, and recognized
Charlemagne as
imperator and
basileus ("emperor"), but not "Emperor of the Romans". In exchange for that recognition,
Venice and
Istria were returned to the Empire. Michael I sent ambassadors to negotiate a marriage alliance between Michael's son Theophylact and a Frankish princess. They also brought a letter from Patriarch Nicephorus I requesting
papal arbitration on the issue of the
Moechian controversy.
Pope Leo III resolved the issue in favour of Theodore the Stoudites, who claimed that, as emperors were bound by
canon law,
Constantine VI's second marriage was illicit, which was the view of Empress
Irene against Emperor Nikephoros. The Pope's judgment was treated as the formal closing of the affair. There were also minor successes against the
Arabs in the
Anatolic Theme under its
stratēgos Leo the Armenian, another figure exiled by Nikephoros and recalled by Michael. However, Michael dealt with the Bulgars poorly during his reign. In 812, Khan Krum besieged the frontier town of
Develtos in
Thrace, and Michael was too late to prevent its surrender. His soldiers mutinied, and people in western Thrace began to flee their homes. Some soldiers of the
tagmata tried to proclaim the blinded sons of
Constantine V as emperors, but Michael dismissed them in disgrace. The Bulgars nevertheless managed to capture almost all of the fortified towns on the Byzantine-Bulgarian border that were built and consolidated by Empress
Irene and Emperors
Constantine VI and Nikephoros in the previous decades. Michael was convinced by Nikephoros and Theodore to reject the peace terms offered by Krum, which involved the return of Christians who fled from Bulgarian territory, provoking the capture of Mesembria (
Nesebar) by the Bulgars, the last border stronghold, executing all captives who refused to renounce
Christianity. Michael I's army prepared for a major engagement at
Versinikia near
Adrianople, but delayed his attack, leading to further discontent in the military. In June, he began the attack but appeared hesitant;
Leo the Armenian fled halfway through the battle, causing a rout. This prompted suspicion of treachery, however, Leo was acclaimed emperor with the support of his soldiers. Once he arrived in
Constantinople, Michael I was pressured to retire to a
monastery. Leo was crowned by Patriarch Nicephorus I on 12 July 813. With conspiracy in the air, Michael I preempted events by abdicating on 11 July 813 in favour of Leo the Armenian and becoming a monk (under the name Athanasios). His sons were castrated to end the dynasty and were relegated to monasteries, with one of them, Niketas (renamed
Ignatios), eventually becoming
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Michael I died on 11 January 844.
Numismatics The numismatic record of Michael's reign begins after his son's coronation as co-emperor in 811, with new
nomismata struck, bearing Michael I on the obverse and Theophylact (son of Michael I) on the reverse. The
miliarēsion, which had not been struck since the reign of
Constantine VI (), was revived by Michael I with a notable alteration. The imperial title
basileis was expanded to
basileis romaion ("emperors of the Romans"), seemingly in response to
Pope Leo III's coronation of
Charlemagne as emperor in 800. == Assessment and legacy ==