Irene was deposed in a coup, replaced by Nikephoros I.
On October 31, 802, Irene was deposed in a palace coup, ending her reign as the sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. Nikephoros I, formerly the minister of finance, seized power, reflecting the volatile and precarious nature of Byzantine politics. Irene's deposition highlighted the underlying gender biases at play, as her audacious bid to rule as emperor challenged socio-political norms. Despite her success in governance and religious administration, Irene's reign was inevitably undone by the pervasive patriarchal preferences within the empire's administrative ranks.