According to George Finlay: "In the year 808, however, a conspiracy was really formed to place Arsaber a patrician, who held the office of questor, or minister of legislation, on the throne.

Though Arsaber was of an Armenian family, many persons of rank were leagued with him; yet Nicephorus only confiscated his estates, and compelled him to embrace the monastic life.

[2][3][4] Theodosia married Leo V the Armenian, a strategos who had played a decisive role in Emperor Nikephoros I's defeat of the rebel Bardanes Tourkos.

However an interpretation of the text of Theophanes Continuatus has Leo marrying a daughter of Bardanes Tourkos.

Genesius records that Prokopia, wife of Michael I, referred to her successor Empress as "Barca".

Michael II rose to the throne and exiled Theodosia and the sons of Leo V to the island of Proti.

The theory was partly based on the account of his ancestry given by Constantine VII, a grandson of Basil I.

[5] Adontz also suggested Constantine VII had made a mistake in the generations separating Maiactes and Basil.

[5] The theory has been accepted by several genealogists, including Christian Settipani in his search for descent from antiquity.