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Apr 11, 2024 · Theodora (born c. 497 ce —died June 28, 548, Constantinople [now Istanbul, Turkey]) was a Byzantine empress, wife of the emperor Justinian I (reigned 527–565), probably the most powerful woman in Byzantine history.
- Theophilus
Theophilus (died January 20, 842, Constantinople) was an...
- Leo III
Leo III (born c. 675, –680, Germanicia, Commagene,...
- Theophilus
- Early Life
- The Nika Revolt
- Attitude to The Church
- Political Intrigues
- Death
Theodora was born in c. 497 CE, the daughter of a bear-keeper called Akakios who worked for the Hippodrome of Constantinople. The 6th-century CE Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea states in his Secret History (Anekdota) that Theodora earned her living, like her mother before her, as an actress, which meant performing in the Hippodrome as an ...
Theodora's active role in Byzantine politics and the staunch support she gave her husband are best revealed by the incident of the Nika Revolt of 11-19 January 532 CE. This was an infamous riot caused by factions of the supporters in the Hippodrome of Constantinople. The real causes for complaint were Justinian's tax hikes (to pay for his incessant...
Theodora's religious policies seem to have been entirely her own, they were certainly not those of her husband, the leader of the Byzantine church and protector of orthodoxy. The Empress favoured Monophysitism, that is the belief that Jesus Christ had only one, divine nature (physis), which went against the orthodox view that he had two natures - o...
Theodora's political manoeuvres are blamed for the downfall of the chief minister John of Cappadocia, although he was none too popular with the Byzantine people either because he was seen as the instigator of the oppressive tax reforms which had caused the Nika Revolt. Procopius, too, paints the finance minister as a paradigm of corruption and deba...
Theodora died in 548 CE, aged just 51 or 52, probably of cancer. Justinian had no heir but, perhaps significantly, he never remarried. Theodora's daughter from before her marriage to Justinian had three sons and all of these became prominent figures in the Byzantine court. Justinian, after a period a deep mourning, would rule for another 17 years b...
- Mark Cartwright
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Apr 11, 2024 · Theodora was a Byzantine empress who reigned jointly with her sister Zoe in 1042 and on her own in 1055–56. The third daughter of the emperor Constantine VIII, Theodora possessed a strong and austere character and refused the hand of the heir presumptive, Romanus, who was married instead to her.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Theodora, probably the most powerful Byzantine woman ever, was born into humble circumstances about 500, probably in the province of Syria. Not long after Theodora's birth, her father Acacius landed a show-business position in the Byzantine Empire 's capital, Constantinople.
Jan 15, 2023 · In the Orthodox Byzantine Empire, the Monophysites were frequently persecuted. Strong in her religious beliefs, Theodora returned to Constantinople in 522 and made a living as a wool spinner. During this time, she met Justinian, the heir to the throne of the Byzantine Empire and her future husband.
Nov 26, 2014 · According to Procopius’ Secret History, written shortly after the death of the empress in the middle of the 6 th century A.D., but published only after the 17 th century, Theodora was of humble birth. Her father was said to be a bear trainer in the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, whilst her mother was said to have been an actress and a dancer.
When the Chalcedonian Patriarch Ephraim provoked a violent revolt in Antioch, eight Miaphysite bishops were invited to Constantinople; Theodora welcomed them and housed them in the Hormisdas Palace, Justinian and Theodora's dwelling before they became Emperor and Empress.
