Nikephoros (Caesar)

Soon, Leo caused a rift with his half-brothers, when he confiscated a large amount of gold reserved for their use and distributed it to the army and the citizens of Constantinople as a donative.

[5] When Leo IV died in October 780, his sole heir was the young Constantine VI, his son by the Empress Irene of Athens.

[6][7] A number of them, including the Postal Logothete (foreign minister) Gregory, the former strategos (governor) of the Anatolic Theme Bardas and Constantine, the commander of the Excubitors guard regiment, consequently favoured the rise of Nikephoros to the imperial throne.

[4][6][8] Nikephoros and his brothers disappear from the sources until 792, when the return of Irene to power (after having been ousted in a military revolt in 790), coupled with the disastrous defeat of Constantine VI at Marcellae against the Bulgars, caused widespread discontent among the troops.

No uprising in their support materialized, and Irene's trusted eunuch advisor Aetios managed to extricate the brothers and send them to exile in Athens.

[4][11] There, they were again the subject of a conspiracy: in March 799, a certain Akameros, "archon of the Slavs in Belzetia" in southern Thessaly, together with local troops from the theme of Hellas (to which Athens belonged), planned to proclaim one of them emperor.

Gold solidus of Leo IV (r. 775–780), depicting Constantine VI (r. 780–797), as well as their ancestors Leo III the Isaurian (r. 717–741) and Constantine V (r. 741–775).
Gold solidus of Irene during her sole reign (797–802).