Editing Staurakios (section)

===Early life and background===
Staurakios was born in the early 790s, probably between 791 and 793, to [[Nikephoros I]] and an unknown woman.{{sfn|Marsh|2013}}{{sfn|Bury|1912|p=14}}{{sfn|PmbZ|loc=[https://www.degruyter.com/view/PMBZ/PMBZ18083 Staurakios (#6866/corr.)]}}{{efn|Staurakios{{'}} mother is often referred to as Prokopia due to confusion with her daughter, [[Prokopia]].{{sfn|Marsh|2013}}{{sfn|Bury|1912|p=14}}{{sfn|PmbZ|loc=[https://www.degruyter.com/view/PMBZ/PMBZ18083 Staurakios (#6866/corr.)]}}}} The historian [[J. B. Bury]] stated that he was likely younger than his sister [[Prokopia]].{{sfn|Bury|1912|p=14}} Staurakios was named after his paternal grandfather.{{sfn|Treadgold|1988|p=129}} His father was likely the same Nikephoros as the one who had been {{lang|grc|[[strategos]]}} of the [[Armeniac Theme]] before being deposed for supporting Empress [[Irene of Athens|Irene]] ({{reign|797|802}}).{{sfn|Treadgold|1988|p=119}} He was also possibly {{lang|grc|[[logothetēs tou genikou]]}} (finance minister) at the time of Staurakios{{'}} birth,{{sfn|Marsh|2013}}{{sfn|Bury|1912|p=9 & 15}}{{sfn|Treadgold|1988|p=119}} as he achieved this rank by 797.{{sfn|Treadgold|1988|p=129}} Nikephoros revolted against Irene on 31 October 802 AD, and seized the throne for himself,{{sfn|Bury|1912|p=9 & 15}}{{sfn|Treadgold|1988|p=119}} exiling Irene to a [[convent]] on the island of [[Principo]].{{sfn|Treadgold|1988|p=119}} Treadgold comments that this was "a bloodless and relatively harmonious transfer of power", and that while Nikephoros seized the throne from Irene, he did not displace her regime, but rather usurped it for himself.{{sfn|Treadgold|1988|p=119}} Staurakios was around 10–12 years old at the time Nikephoros became emperor.{{sfn|Marsh|2013}}{{sfn|Bury|1912|p=9 & 15}} At the beginning of his rule, Nikephoros had strong support from the bureaucracy, and superficially positive relations with the army and clergy.{{sfn|Treadgold|1988|p=129}}

Treadgold suggests that Nikephoros had witnessed "a good deal of financial mismanagement" before he seized power, but was unable to prevent it at that time. Indeed, one of his first acts as emperor was to seize control of a secret treasury reserve from Irene. Soon after, he took measures to increase the treasury, such as canceling tribute payments to the [[Abbasid Caliphate]], an "exorbitant and humiliating payment", accepting the risk of war. Later, he ended the suspension of urban tariffs and estate taxes that Irene had implemented. Treadgold comments that the suspension of Irene's popular fiscal policies was bold, and risked reducing his own popularity, but that Nikephoros must have considered them too expensive to continue, and was aware that the capital was relatively undertaxed compared to the rest of the empire.{{sfn|Treadgold|1988|p=130}} He took similar efforts to tackle the issue of corruption, founding a new court where he heard complaints levied by the poor against the elites.{{sfn|Treadgold|1988|pp=130–131}} While his supporters praised him for championing the poor, opponents declaimed him for his measures against the wealthy. Some of these opponents also alleged greed, but Treadgold comments that this likely referred to the effort Nikephoros put into collecting revenues, as the man himself was famously austere.{{sfn|Treadgold|1988|p=131}}