Search results
Theodora (/ ˌ θ iː ə ˈ d ɔːr ə /; Greek: Θεοδώρα; c. 490 – 28 June 548) was a Byzantine empress and wife of emperor Justinian. She was from humble origins and became empress when her husband became emperor in 527.
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.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Little is known of Theodora’s early life, but some sources say her father was named Acacius and was a bear keeper at the Hippodrome in Constantinople.
- Theodora, a 6th-century Byzantine empress married to Emperor Justinian I, is remembered for being one of the most powerful women in Byzantine histo...
- Theodora believed in miaphysitism, which holds that both divinity and humanity are equally present within a single nature in the person of Christ,...
- Theodora likely died from cancer.
- She led an unconventional early life. Theodora was the daughter of Acacius, a bear-keeper who worked for the Hippodrome of Constantinople. Little is known of her early years.
- She abandoned her acting career aged 16. At the age of 16, Theodora walked away from her acting career to become mistress to a Syrian official named Hecebolus, the governor of what is now known as Libya.
- She converted to an early form of Christianity. After her relationship with Hecebolus broke down, Theodora joined an ascetic community in the desert near Alexandria, where she converted to a branch of early Christianity, Monophysitism.
- She and Justinian were an unlikely match. After her conversion, Theodora travelled to Constantinople where she met Justinian, who was 20 years her senior.
Apr 3, 2018 · Theodora reigned as empress of the Byzantine Empire alongside her husband, Emperor Justinian I, from 527 CE until her death in 548 CE. Rising from a humble background and overcoming the prejudices of...
- Mark Cartwright
Jul 22, 2019 · Learn about the life and achievements of Theodora, the most influential woman in Byzantine history. She was a former actress, a monophysite Christian, and a trusted adviser to her husband Emperor Justinian I.
- Jone Johnson Lewis
When Justinian was crowned in 527, he named as co-regent his young wife Theodora. She was 15 years his junior and his opposite in nearly every way. She was social, witty, supremely self-confident...
Jun 27, 2018 · Theodora (c.500–48), Byzantine empress, wife of Justinian, said to have been an actress, and the daughter of a bearkeeper. As Justinian's closest adviser, she exercised a considerable influence on political affairs and the theological questions of the time.
Searches related to Theodora (wife of Justinian I)
