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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. Her intelligence and political acumen made her Justinian’s most trusted adviser and enabled her to use the power and ...
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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
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He, working closely with Theodora, had three great passions during his reign—a grandiose building campaign which culminated in the magnificent and still standing Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul); an ambition to streamline and codify Roman law, resulting in the famous Code which exerted, and continues to exert, much ...
Most significant, he allowed the church to establish its own courts and to use its own body of law, called "canon law.” These courts, not the Roman government, had jurisdiction over the clergy and ecclesiastical disputes.
- Quick Facts
- Major Accomplishments of Empress Theodora
- She Rose from An Actress/Dancer to An Empress of Byzantium
- In Effect, She Was The Co-Ruler of The Byzantine Empire
- Empress Theodora’s Advocated Monophysitism
- The Empress Was An Advocate For Rights of Women
- Helped Her Husband Quell The Nika Revolt of 532 CE
- She Was A Known Supporter of Many Charitable Causes
- Empress Theodora Had Senior Minister John of Cappadocia Banished
- Empress Theodora Is Venerated as A Saint
Born: c. 497 CEPlace of birth: Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey)Died: June 28, 548Most known for: Being the wife and senior most advisor of Justinian IDuring her somewhat joint rule (with Emperor Justinian I) between 527 CE and 548 CE, Empress Theodora was able to accomplish a lot of remarkable things. Some of her major accomplishments are as follows:
For someone who was once an actress and a dancer, the question that begs to be answered is: How did Theodora rise to become an empress? It all began at a beauty contest, where the most beautiful women across the empire, regardless of class or status, conveyed in Constantinople. There was a long standing tradition for Byzantine emperors and members ...
Procopius, one of the many Byzantine historians who painted a slightly unsavory picture of the personality of Theodora , described the Empress as a short but very beautiful woman who had a strong obsession with luxury. On April 1, 527 CE, just two years after their marriage, Justinian I and Theodora were crowned emperor and empress respectively. Ta...
Most likely due to her independent thoughts and novel ways of doing things, Empress Theodora was scorned by some conservative elements in the royal court. One such example of those independent thoughts of hers saw her advocate Monophysitism (also known as miaphysitism), a religious belief that only recognizes the divine nature of Jesus Christ, inst...
Empress Theodora used her immense influence to get number of laws passed that fought against the trafficking of young girls and abuse of women in general. She also pushed for the amendment of divorce laws in order to grant women a fairer judgement during divorce proceedings.
Just five years into their reign, Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora had to deal with a serious revolt which later came to be known as the Nika Revolt of 532 CE. Between January 11 and January 19 of that year, a rowdy group of supporters based in the Hippodrome of Constantinople had grown irritated because Justinian I decided not to pardon Blue...
While recovering from the deadly bubonic plague of 542 CE (also known as the Justinian Plague), Emperor Justinian I gave Empress Theodora full power to rule on his behalf. It was during this time the Empress carried out many of her devious plans to consolidate her power, just in case Emperor Justinian didn’t recover from the plague. She is said to ...
Long described by many historians as one of the reasons why the Nika Revolt spiraled out of control, chief minister John of Cappadocia lost his position kind courtesy to Empress Theodora’s expertly crafted schemes. John was said to be one of the biggest supporters of the excessive tax regime that the Nika rioters loathed. In keeping up with some of...
Empress Theodora, a staunch Miaphysite, is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church as a saint. Her feast day in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church falls on November 14 and June 28 respectively. Part of the reason why she is venerated by those churches had to do with the fact that she bravely...
Apr 3, 2018 · 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.
Nov 26, 2014 · 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. Procopius proceeds to say that Theodora used to work as a prostitute in a low status brothel and performed on the stage in Constantinople.
