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| 787 |
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| The Council of Nicaea abandoned iconoclasm and permitted the veneration of images. Tremendous victory for the monkish party, which soon advanced far-reaching claims to complete freedom for the Church in religious matters. | 1 |
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| 790 |
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| The army, opposed to the monks, mutinied and put Constantine in power. Irene was forced into retirement. The emperor set out on campaigns against the Arabs and Bulgars, but met with mixed success. | 2 |
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| 792 |
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| Constantine recalled his mother and made her coruler. She took vile advantage of him and, after his divorce and a remarriage arranged by her (795), put herself at the head of a party of the monks in opposing iconoclasm. A rising of the army put her in control, and she had her son blinded (797). | 3 |
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| 797–802 |
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| Irene, the first empress. Though supported by able generals (Staurakios and Aëtios), she preferred to buy peace with the Arabs (798) and to devote herself to domestic intrigue. | 4 |
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| 800 |
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| Resurrection of the empire in the west, through the coronation of Charlemagne (See 800). The Eastern Empire refused to recognize the claim. | 5 |
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| 802–11 |
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| Nicephorus, who was put on the throne by a group of conspiring officials of the government. Irene, deposed, died in 803. Nicephorus was a firm ruler who carried through a number of much-needed financial reforms. | 6 |
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| 803 |
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| The emperor made peace with Charlemagne, the Eastern Empire retaining southern Italy, Venice, and Dalmatia. | 7 |
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| 809 |
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| Banishment of the monks of Studion, who, under Theodoros of Studion, took the lead in advancing claims to church freedom. They went so far as to appeal to the Roman pope and offer to recognize his primacy. | 8 |
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| 809–13 |
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| War with Krum, the powerful king of the Bulgars. The emperor was defeated and killed in a great battle (811). | 9 |
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| 811–13 |
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| Michael I (Rhangabé), emperor. He proved himself quite incompetent, being unable to check the advance of Krum to Constantinople or the success of the party of monks in domestic affairs. | 10 |
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| 813–20 |
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| Leo V (the Armenian), called to the throne by the army. Though personally not much moved by the religious controversy, he could not avoid taking up the challenge of the monks. | 11 |
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| 814–15 |
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| The emperor won a great victory over the Bulgars at Burtudizus (today, Babaeski in Turkey's European part), Krum having died (814). The Bulgars were obliged to accept a 30-year peace. | 12 |
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