Empress Theodora, Wife of Justinian

Perhaps the one thing that the Empress Theodora was known for is the misconceptions that center on her life. However, there is no doubt that through her marriage to the Holy Emperor Justinian, she contributed greatly to the restoration of the Roman Empire. Justinian himself was greatly influenced by her his marriage was one of love, not of political advantageousness. Most Emperors would indeed prefer the most prominent woman of all to marry, but Justinian married Theodora, a daughter of a bear-keeper and a professional actress. Both the career of bear-keeper and actress were not only frowned upon in Roman culture, they were seen as the lowest ends of the political spectrum, a sign of worthlessness, often times a sign of immorality. But Justinian was interested in love, not prominence, and he married this lowly woman Theodora who was brought up to the highest of heights, not only in the Roman Empire but in the Heavenly Courts also.

Procopius is well known for his Secret History which is riddled with gossip and lies. Though his works On Buildings and History of the Wars show high praise and exaltation for the Emperor and Empress, he decided to gossip about them in this Secret History. In this, he sensationalizes, especially about the Empress, making her out to be a prostitute and a scandal-ridden Empress. It is unclear why he writes so positively about Justinian in two other works but decides to chide the Emperor and his consort in this work. Most historians have deemed this work too sensationalist to be believed with any sincerity, almost satirical rather than historical, and have dismissed much of the work as a product of pseudo-history. Further, the Church has never confronted this as a problem within the lives of either the Emperor or his consort which would be evident if the Secret History were to actually be credible.

Theodora may have also first heard of the faith from a group of Monophysites who held the heresy that Jesus had one nature which was mixed of divine and human, but not two. She may have first learned of the faith from these Monophysites, but whether or not she actually affirmed or understood the teaching is unclear. A further claim to this accusation is her support of Justinian in the Three Chapters controversy. However, as we have already discussed, the Three Chapters contained severe Nestorian errors and were formally condemned at the Council of Constantinople in 553 A.D. There is no doubt that her theological leanings influenced Justinian greatly on this topic, however her concern was not the spread of Eutychianism but the spread of Orthodoxy and the condemnation of Nestorianism. She certainly did intend to establish unity between the Monophysites and the Chalcedonians, but in this, she leaned more toward the Chalcedonians. Justinian's stumbling into Monophysitism under the form of Theopassianism later on in his life should not be attributed to her influence but rather to a demonic spirit which came over him as was King David overcome by a demonic spirit.

Early on in his reign, Justinian fell into serious trouble and was about to be dethroned. This was during the Nika Riots of 532 A.D. The rioting mob had already burned the central part of the city and elected a rival Imperial-usurper named Hypatios. Justinian, just five years into his reign as Emperor of the Romans, was considering the abandonment of Constantinople but the Holy Empress spoke to him saying,

Every man born to see the light of day must die. But the one who has been emperor should become an exile I cannot bear. May I never be without the purple I wear, nor live to see the day when men do not call me 'Your Majesty.' If you wish safety, my Lord, that is an easy matter. We are rich, and there is the sea, and yonder our ships. But consider whether if you reach safety you may not desire to exchange that safety for death. As for me, I like the old saying, that the purple is the noblest shroud.

Justinian changed his mind at this point and he would subdue the rioters and have them put to death for their treason.

As recorded by John Malalas, the Empress possessed a heart for the women who were sold into prostitution as sex slaves and sought to reform the laws to punish the brothel-keepers and the pimps (Chronicle, Bk. 18.24). Procopius also records this in On the Buildings, how the Empress and the Emperor banished the very name brothel-keeper and set the women free who were held by these wicked men as slaves to every form of licentiousness and provided them with care. She also built a monastery for these women as a safe-house for them. The Right-Believing Queen Tamara of Georgia would emulate her virtue in contributing to the growth of the Church, the building of monasteries, and the care for the poor.

The Empress reposed, perhaps of cancer, on June 28, 548 A.D. and is commemorated in the Greek calendar on November 15 with Justinian and in the Slavonic calendar on November 14 with Justinian. In the Oriental Orthodox Church, she is commemorated on June 28. Amongst the Eastern Catholics, she is commemorated on November 14 according to those following the Slavonic calendar and on November 15 according to those following the Greek calendar and on June 28 among those following Oriental rites. Justinian the Great would light candles for her by the gate of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople (Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint, 1).

See also:

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint by David Potter

Pious Kings and Right-Believing Queens, by Protopresbyter James Thornton