Perhaps the most famous Byzantine empress, Theodora belongs in the same category as Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, Marie-Antoinette and Catherine the Great, as women whose names you have probably heard, but whose stories you are not familiar with.
Theodora was born circa 500 AD. Her father, Acacius, was a bear trainer for the Green faction (one of the two prominent demes of the era), and her mother, whose name is not recorded, was a dancer and an actress. Theodora and her sisters, Comito and Anastasia, were likely involved in the theater from a young age, performing a variety of low-brow, highly sexualized comedic acts; this being the sixth century AD, acting was inextricably linked with sex work, and Theodora may well have been a prostitute. At some point during Theodora's youth, Acacius died unexpectedly, leaving his wife and daughters impoverished. They appealed to their original faction, the Greens, as suppliants, only to be rejected, allegedly because of a bribe paid to a faction official. The opposing Blue faction, however, took them in, and Theodora was thereafter an ardent Blue.
As a teenager or young adult, Theodora left the stage and became the mistress or concubine of a man called Hecebolus, the governor of the Libyan Pentopolis. However, this arrangement was brief, and it concluded with Hecebolus dismissing Theodora after some kind of argument. From there, Theodora traveled to Alexandria, then Antioch. Along the way, she seemingly converted to Monophysitism, a heretical form of Christianity that had been declared anathema at the Council of Chalcedon. She eventually returned to her home city of Constantinople, where she met Justinian, the future emperor. Details about the beginning of their relationship are scarce—Justinian may have met her during her "acting days," or she may have met him through a woman called Macedonia, a dancer who served as an informant for the Blue faction. In any case, it seems to have been Love at First Sight. Justinian sought to marry Theodora, but was prevented from doing so by an old law that forbade men of his rank from marrying former actresses. Several members of Justinian's family—specifically the empress Euphemia, his aunt—were also vehemently opposed to their union. However, in 525 AD, Euphemia passed away, and Justinian was able to convince his uncle Justin to change this law, legalizing their marriage. The two were finally wed that spring.
Two years after their wedding, Justinian became sole emperor of Eastern Rome, and Theodora was crowned Augusta alongside him, becoming the empress of the Byzantine Empirenote . Theodora would quickly prove to be an enormously powerful figure in Justinian's court. She shared in his ideas, decisions, plans, and political strategies, and she had a noticeable impact on his legislation; Justinian's many legal reforms regarding the rights of women and children are often attributed, at least in part, to Theodora's influence. Theodora also succeeded in arranging convenient marriages for her sister and her friends—most notably, she managed to marry her friend Antonina to Flavius Belisarius, the famously skilled general who fulfilled Justinian's dream of reconquering Rome.
Theodora is most famous, however, for her actions during the Nika Riots. For context, the Nika Riots were a sports riot and political revolt that took place in January of 532 AD. Although the initial catalyst for the riots was the botched execution of two factionists convicted for murder, the Senate's dissatisfaction with Justinian's high taxes and other controversial policies fanned the flames, and what began as chariot-racing hooliganism quickly developed into a borderline coup as the demes, backed by noble supporters, attempted to overthrow Justinian and crown a new emperornote in his place. Over the span of about five days, the mob burned down much of Constantinople, including several prominent landmarks, and assaulted the palace, all while chanting the motto "nika," meaning "victory" or "conquer." The riots eventually intensified to the point where Justinian and his council felt compelled to leave the palace. However, Theodora managed to convince them to stay and fight with an impressive Rousing Speech:
- My lords, the present occasion is too serious to allow me to follow the convention that a woman should not speak in a man’s council. Those whose interests are threatened by extreme danger should think only of the wisest course of action, not of conventions. In my opinion, flight is not the right course, even if it should bring us to safety. It is impossible for a person, having been born into this world, not to die; but for one who has reigned it is intolerable to be a fugitive. May I never be deprived of this purple robe, and may I never see the day when those who meet me do not call me empress. If you wish to save yourself, my lord, there is no difficulty. We are rich; over there is the sea, and yonder are the ships. Yet reflect for a moment whether, when you have once escaped to a place of security, you would not gladly exchange such safety for death. As for me, I agree with the adage that the royal purple is the noblest shroud.
After Theodora's interjection, Justinian was determined to stay. With his most trusted men (including the aforementioned Belisarius), he carried out a plan that resulted in the suppression of the riots and the death of approximately 30,000 people (among them Hypatius, the crowd's chosen emperor; allegedly, it was Theodora who encouraged Justinian to have him executed).
After Nika, Theodora ruled alongside her husband for around 16 years, influencing his legislation, championing the rights of women and the Monophysite cause, and carrying out elaborate schemes to protect Justinian's rule and expel potential threats (she and Antonina were allegedly involved in the deposition of tax collector John the Cappadocian, as well as several other officials). When The Plague hit Byzantium in the early 540s, Theodora escaped infection, and effectively ruled the empire while Justinian was comatose. However, shortly afterwards, Theodora became ill with a disease historians now believe was some form of cancer. She ultimately died in her late forties or early fifties, and Justinian never remarried. Although she and Justinian never had any legitimate children, she left behind one illegitimate daughter from a prior relationship, and potentially an illegitimate son; however, references to this son appear only in Procopius's Anecdota, an extremely passionate invective, and his existence has therefore been called into question.
In any case, due to her relationship with Justinian, her actions during the Nika Riots (and, to a lesser extent, the plague), and her Rags to Riches story, Theodora's life has become the subject of multiple works of fiction. In addition, due to her involvement in the creation of new legislation that improved the well-being of lower-class women (including actresses and sex workers), she is often regarded as an early feminist icon.
Appears in the following works:
Art- She's featured in Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party in Wing II (From the Beginnings of Christianity to the Reformation), alongside Eleanor Of Aquitaine and Elizabeth I.
Comic Books
- The first issue of Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold takes place during the Justinian plague, and Theodora's illegitimate son John is depicted as one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
- In the Maxentius series, the eponymous Maxentius is a childhood friend of Theodora who wound up settling for her sister Anastasia after she married Justinian. Throughout the series, he harbors an intense crush on Theodora, who's depicted as a Femme Fatale.
Film
- In Kampf Um Rom, she's portrayed by Sylva Koscina.
- In Primary Russia, she's portrayed by Margarita Terekhova.
- Theodora Slave Empress is a 1954 romance "peplum" movie Very Loosely Based on a True Story, in which Theodora is portrayed by Gianna Maria Canale.
Literature
- Actress, Empress, Whore and The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy comprise a duology about Theodora's life, with the first book focusing on her adolescence and the second on her reign.
- The Bearkeepers Daughter centers on Theodora reconciling with her illegitimate son, John.
- The Belisarius Series features Theodora prominently; although she does suffer from a degree of Historical Villain Upgrade, she also possesses many redeeming qualities.
- Blue and Green, or the Gift of God: A Novel of Old Constantinople by Sir Henry Pottinger is a Victorian-era novel in which Theodora is a central character (the titular "Gift of God" refers to her Meaningful Name).
- In Count Belisarius by Robert Graves, Theodora is an antagonist who plots against the eponymous Belisarius alongside the disloyal Antonina.
- Empire In Apocalypse by Robert Bruton takes place during the 530s and 540s, and Theodora is shown scheming with Antonina and caring for Justinian during The Plague.
- The Female: A Novel of Another Time by Paul Wellman is a historical fiction novel from the 1950s focused on Theodora's adolescence and marriage.
- Fortune's Child and Too Soon the Night by James Conroyd Martin focus on Theodora, as well as a fictional eunuch named Stephen, with Stephen serving as the POV character chronicling his own life alongside as that of the empress.
- Her Expy in The General Series is Lady Anne Clerett.
- In the John the Eunuch mysteries, she and Justinian are both recurring antagonists, and the ninth novel deals with the ramifications of Theodora’s death.
- The Sarantine Mosaic duology by Guy Gavriel Kay features an Expy of Theodora in the form of the Sarantine Empress Alixana, beloved wife of Justinian's Expy Valerius II.
- The Secret History by Stephanie Thornton (not to be confused with the Donna Tartt novel of the same name) is a historical fiction/romance novel about Theodora.
- Theodora and the Emperor: The Drama of Justinian by Harold Lamb focuses on Justinian and Theodora's reign, as well as Belisarius's campaigns in Italy.
- Theodora by Jack Oleck is a Romance Novel (in the same vein as early "bodice-ripper" historical romances) loosely based on Theodora's life.
- Theodora: A Novel by Samuel Edwards features a Theodora who's effectively a Composite Character of the historical Theodora and the much later empress Anna of Savoy.
Music
- The progressive rock band Big Big Train sings of Theodora herself, and the mosaics of Theodora and Justinian in Ravenna, in the song "Theodora in Green and Gold" on their 2019 album Grand Tour.
Radio
- The History of Byzantium has an entire episode dedicated to Theodora, which—as the narrator notes—is unusual for an empress. She's accordingly prominent throughout the Justinian arc.
- The Rest is History also has an episode about Theodora (as well as an episode about Justinian, and an episode about their reign as a whole). She also won the podcast's first Love Island competition (in which the hosts paired her with former UK Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin.)
- T&J is dedicated entirely to Theodora and Justinian's reign and relationship.
- You're Dead To Me has a Justinian and Theodora episode.
Theater
- She and Justinian were both prominent in Byzantium!, an obscure fringe-festival musical from 2005 that focused on their love story. Over the years, a number of other small-scale, community theater plays about Theodora have been performed, largely due to her reputation as an actress.
- Victorien Sardou wrote a play about her called Theodora, a Drama, which takes some liberties with her story.
Video Games
- The Civilization series has featured Theodora three times; she appeared in Civ III and IV as the main leader of Byzantium, and she was brought back in Civ VI as an alternate leader as part of the Leader Pass DLC.
- She's Legendary Garrison Commander in Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade, alongside Belisarius.
WEB ORIGINAL
- She appears every so often in Door Monster skits, especially those based on the Civ games.
- Extra History has a Justinian and Theodora series in which Theodora plays a central role.
- Unbiased History presents her as a stubborn bitch who has control over most of the heretics in the empire.
