Aetios ( eunuch ) Aetios or Aetius ( ) was a Byzantine eunuch official and one of the most trusted advisers of Byzantine empress Irene of Athens ( r . 797 – 802 ) . After Irene ' s rise to sole rule , Aetios developed an intense rivalry with her eunuch chief minister Staurakios . After Staurakios ' s death , Aetios became the leading man in the state . He plotted to usurp the throne for his brother , Leo , but lost power when Irene was deposed in 802 . Biography . Early years and rivalry with Staurakios . Aetios first appears in 790 , when he was a " protospatharios " and a confidant of Irene , then the Byzantine empress - mother and regent for her young son , Emperor Constantine VI ( r . 780 – 797 ) . In the autumn of that year , Irene tried to sideline her son and assume full rule over the Byzantine Empire . This , however , caused a mutiny by the army in favour of the young emperor . Constantine was installed as sole ruler , Irene confined to a palace in Constantinople , and her eunuch protégés , including Aetios , were exiled . Aetios was restored to his position , along with the other eunuchs , when Irene was recalled to power as a co - ruler in 792 . In August 797 , Irene and her powerful eunuch minister Staurakios succeeded in overthrowing and blinding ( and possibly also killing ) Constantine , thus assuming governance of the state . However , the uncles of the deposed emperor , the surviving younger sons of Emperor Constantine V ( r . 741 – 775 ) , who had in the past been involved in plots against Irene , were still a potential threat . They were persuaded by sympathizers to seek refuge in the cathedral of Hagia Sophia , where the capital ' s populace would supposedly rally to them and declare one of them as emperor . No such support materialized ; instead , Aetios managed to achieve their surrender , and they were exiled to Irene ' s home town of Athens . Irene now divided her favour between Staurakios , her old - established chief minister , and Aetios . This began a period of intense rivalry between the two and their respective supporters , as they raced to place their relatives in positions of power , so as to secure control of the Byzantine Empire after Irene ' s eventual death . This competition came to the fore in 797 / 798 , and intensified in May 799 , when Irene fell seriously ill . Aetios , who had won the backing of Niketas Triphyllios , the commander of the " Scholai " guards , accused Staurakios before the Empress of plotting to usurp the throne . Irene duly convened a council at the Palace of Hieria where she severely rebuked her favourite minister , but Staurakios escaped with an apology . Staurakios in turn began to distribute bribes amongst the men and lower officers of the " Scholai " and " Exkoubitores " regiments , trying to win their support for an eventual coup . Aetios again went to Irene , who in February 800 forbade anyone from the military to contact Staurakios . Coupled with Aetios ' s own appointment to the powerful post of " strategos " of the Anatolic Theme , this restored a precarious balance between the two camps . Soon after , Staurakios became very ill , but he continued plotting against Aetios , instigating a revolt against him in Cappadocia before dying in June 800 . Supremacy and downfall of Aetios . The revolt was quickly and brutally subdued , and with his rival ' s death , Aetios stood supreme amongst Empress Irene ' s court . He likely succeeded Staurakios as " logothetes tou dromou " , while retaining control of the Anatolics and adding to his command the Opsician Theme . He gained a victory in 800 against the Arabs , which was followed , however , by a defeat in 801 . In 801 / 802 , Aetios appointed his brother Leo as " monostrategos " of the themes of Thrace and Macedonia . Controlling thus the armies closest to Constantinople , which comprised about a third of the Byzantine Empire ' s entire military forces , he was well placed to make Leo emperor . In the words of the chronicler Theophanes the Confessor , he " ruled by [ Irene ' s ] side and was usurping power on behalf of his brother " . Consequently , in 802 , Aetios was instrumental in the rejection of a marriage offer from Charlemagne , which Irene had apparently seriously considered . Aetios ' s plans for his brother ' s elevation faltered with the opposition of the other courtiers , who resented his influence and the insulting manner with which he treated them . Chief among them were Nikephoros , Irene ' s finance minister ( " logothetes tou genikou " ) , but also Niketas Triphyllios , Aetios ' s former ally , and Leo Sarantapechos , a relative of the Byzantine empress . Fearing an imminent coup by Aetios , the conspirators , in the morning of October 31 , 802 , entered the Great Palace and acclaimed Nikephoros emperor . Irene was deposed and allowed to retire to a convent . It is not known what became of Aetios after that . He most likely lost power upon Nikephoros ' s accession , but he may be the " patrikios " Aetios who was killed , along with Nikephoros himself , in the Battle of Pliska against the Bulgars on July 26 , 811 .