Prokopia 1 was the daughter (θυγάτηρ) of the emperor Nikephoros I (Nikephoros 8): Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 489C, Georg. Mon. Cont. 817. She was the sister of the emperor Staurakios (Staurakios 2) and wife of the emperor Michael I Rhangabe (Michael 7): Theoph. AM 6303, AM 6304, Scriptor Incertus 335, 337, 340, 341, Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 489C (describing Ignatios 1 - πάτερας δὲ Μιχαὴλ ... καὶ Προκοπίαν), Georg. Mon. Cont. 817, Theoph. Cont. I 9 (p. 18), Scyl., p. 8, Genesius I 3, 5, Zon. XV 16.3 (Μιχαήλ, ᾧ Ῥαγγαβὲ τὸ ἐπώνυμον, γαμβρῷ αὐτοῦ ὄντι ἐπὶ Προκοπίᾳ τῇ ἀδελφῇ). Prokopia 1 was the mother of Theophylaktos 9 (Eustratios): Scriptor Incertus 335, Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 492A (Theophylaktos 9 is described as Michael 7's son; Prokopia 1 is not mentioned), Theoph. Cont. I 10 (p. 20), Scyl., p. 8, Zon. XV 17.9 (καὶ τὸν υἱὸν δὲ Θεοφύλακτον ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος τῆς βασιλικῆς ἠξίωσε). Prokopia 1 was also the mother of Niketas (i.e. Ignatios 1, the future patriarch of Constantinople): Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 492A (Ignatios 1 is described as Michael 7's son; Prokopia 1 is not mentioned), Georg. Mon. Cont. 817, 821, cf. Leo Gramm. 231, 235, Scriptor Incertus 341, Theoph. Cont. I 10 (p. 20), Genesius I 5. She also bore two daughters, Georgo 1 and Theophano 2: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 492A (Georgo 1 and Theophano 2 are described as Michael 7's daughters; Prokopia 1 is not mentioned). Since Theophylaktos 9 was born in 793 she and Michael 7 were married before that date.

In 811 Prokopia 1 was apparently accused by Staurakios 2's wife, the empress Theophano 1, of plotting against him; he then turned against her; subsequently her husband Michael 7 was proclaimed emperor (on 2 October): Theoph. AM 6303. Prokopia 1 was crowned Augusta in the triklinos of the Augustaion on 12 October 811: Theoph. AM 6304 (ἐστέφθη Προκοπία αὐγούστα), Zon. XV 17.2 (μετὰ δέ τινας ἡμέρας καὶ τὴν τοῦ Βίου κοινωνὸν Προκοπίαν Αὐγούσταν ἀνηγόρευσέ τε καὶ ἔστεψεν). She attended the coronation of her son (on 25 December 811, Theoph. AM 6304): Scriptor Incertus 335. She is said to have been the dominant person in deciding affairs of state: Scriptor Incertus 335.

Augousta; in early 813 Prokopia 1 joined her husband Michael 7 in celebrating a success over the Bulgars by performing memorial rites for the patriarch Tarasios 1 at the monastery named after him and by honouring his tomb; later, in May, she accompanied the emperor Michael 7 and the army when they set out on campaign against the Bulgars under Krum 1; her presence aroused discontent among the troops; after Michael 7's defeat by Krum 1 on 22 June 813, and his flight back to Constantinople (24 June), she and other advisers opposed his wish to abdicate, but when Leo 15 was proclaimed emperor she fled with Michael 7 and their children to the oratory of the Pharos and assumed monastic garb; the date was 11 July 813: Theoph. AM 6305, cf. Scriptor Incertus 337 (the Augousta, she accompanied the expedition and exhorted the troops before returning to Constantinople), Zon. XV 18.5-7 (the Augousta, she accompanied the expedition, to the displeasure of the troops).

Prokopia 1 opposed the abdication of her husband Michael 7 and spoke contemptuously of Leo 15's wife, whom she called Barka (see Barka 1): Theoph. Cont. I 9 (p. 18), Scyl., p. 8, Genesius I 3. She fled with Michael 7 and their children to the Church of the Theotokos known as Pharos, from where she and the children were taken, separated from Michael 7 and exiled: Theoph. Cont. I 10 (pp. 19-20), Scyl., p. 8, Genesius I 5, Zon. XV 18. 21 (exiled with her children). She was removed to a monastery which was thereafter known as the monastery of Prokopia: Theoph. Cont. I 10 (p. 20). She was tonsured and became a nun with the other members of the family: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 492B (Θεοφύλακτος δὲ ἅμα τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ βασιλεῦσι τότε κειραμένοις). Augousta, wife of Michael 7, she was tonsured by Leo V (Leo 15): Scriptor Incertus 341. See also Vita Anton. Iun. (BHG 142) 37.

During the persecution of iconophiles by the emperor Theophilos (Theophilos 5), Prokopia 1 was active, with her son Ignatios 1 and one of her daughters (unnamed), in giving help to the victims: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 500A (Ἰγνάτιον καὶ Προκοπίαν, τὴν αὐτοῦ λέγω μητέρα, καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν). The persecution became active in the fourth year of Theophilos 5.

Prokopia 1 was the daughter of the emperor Nikephoros I (Nikephoros 8), sister of the emperor Staurakios 2 and husband of the emperor Michael I (Michael 7); Prokopia 1 was thought to have blinded Staurakios 2 so that her husband Michael 7 could become emperor: Bar Hebr., p. 125. Daughter of the emperor Nikephoros 8 and sister of Staurakios 2, wife of Michael 7; she was alleged to have poisoned her brother so that her husband could become emperor: Chron. 813, p. 259, 22-p. 260, 8 = p. 196.

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