Nikephorian dynasty

Following the deposition of the Byzantine empress Irene of Athens, the throne of the Byzantine Empire passed to a relatively short-lived dynasty, the Nikephorian dynasty, named after its founder, Nikephoros I. The empire was in a weaker and more precarious position than it had been for a long time and its finances were problematic.

During this era Byzantium was almost continually at war on two frontiers which drained its resources, and like many of his predecessors, Nikephoros (802-811) himself died campaigning amongst the Bulgars to the north. Furthermore Byzantium's influence continued to wane in the west with the crowning of Charlemagne (800-814) as Holy Roman emperor by Pope Leo III at Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in the year 800 and the establishment of a new empire in Western Europe laying claim to the universal Roman monarchy.

Nikephoros I, 802-811

Nikephoros I had been the empire's finance minister and on Irene's deposition immediately embarked on a series of fiscal reforms. His administrative reforms included re-organisation of the themata. He survived a civil war in 803 and, like most of the Byzantine emperors, found himself at war on three fronts. He suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Krasos in Phrygia in 805 and died on a campaign against the Bulgars.

Dynasty

A dynasty (UK /ˈdɪnəsti/, US /ˈdaɪnəsti/) is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a feudal or monarchical system but sometimes also appearing in elective republics. The dynastic family or lineage may be known as a "house"; this may be styled "royal", "princely", "comital", etc. depending upon the chief or present title borne by its members. Historians consider many sovereign states' histories, such as Ancient Egypt, the Carolingian Empire and Imperial China, within a framework of successive dynasties. As such, the term "dynasty" may be used to delimit the era during which the family reigned and to describe events, trends, and artifacts of that period ("a Ming-dynasty vase"). The word "dynasty" itself is often dropped from such adjectival references ("a Ming vase").

Until the 19th century, it was taken for granted that a legitimate function of a monarch was to aggrandize his dynasty: that is, to increase the territory, wealth, and power of his family members. The longest-surviving dynasty in the world is the Imperial House of Japan, the Yamato dynasty, whose reign is traditionally dated to 660 BC.

Ulmus parvifolia 'Dynasty'

The Chinese Elm cultivar Ulmus parvifolia 'Dynasty' is a United States National Arboretum introduction reputed to be very fast-growing.

Description

A medium tree rarely exceeding 13 m in height, with a spread of similar dimension producing a very rounded shape. Opinions of the tree's aesthetic merit vary; Dirr considered that the tree "borders on a boondoggle" whereas Warren and Jacobson thought the shape 'good', and the foliage a decent autumn colour (the leaves turn orange-yellow).

Pests and diseases

The species and its cultivars are highly resistant, but not immune, to Dutch elm disease, and unaffected by the Elm Leaf Beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola . Moreover, the tree's foliage was adjudged "resistant" to Black Spot by the Plant Diagnostic Clinic of the University of Missouri .

Cultivation

The tree is largely limited to North America, although it has been introduced to Italy.

Accessions

North America

Dynasty (song)

"Dynasty" is the title track from the 2010 Electronica/Dance album of the same name by American DJ/producer and musician Kaskade. It features vocals by longtime collaborator Haley Gibby (simply credited as Haley), who for the first time was given lead billing on this single – which was inspired by an event that Kaskade was headlining. This track would become Kaskade's first number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart after collaborating with deadmau5 (his third number one overall), as well as Gibby's first number one as a featured lead vocalist.

Track listings

Chart positions