He has therefore also been seen as the representative of the opposition by the traditional elites to Nikephoros's policies, both in the confessional area, where the Emperor maintained a carefully neutral stance towards both iconoclasts and iconophiles, and in the socio-financial sphere, where new taxes on landed property and the expropriation of ecclesiastical estates hurt their interests.
Dia karena itu juga dilihat sebagai wakil dari oposisi oleh elit tradisional untuk kebijakan Nikephoros, baik di daerah pengakuan, di mana Kaisar mempertahankan sikap hati-hati yang netral terhadap kedua ikonoklasme dan di bidang sosial-keuangan, di mana pajak baru atas kepemilikan tanah dan pengambilalihan lahan gerejawi merugikan kepentingan mereka.