Theodora I.

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Theodora I on a mosaic in the Church of San Vitale , Ravenna , around 545
Theodora I with her court, full view of the mosaic, Church of San Vitale , Ravenna
Possible bust of Theodora I, Castello Sforzesco , Milan , 6th century

Theodora (* around 500 ; † June 28, 548 in Constantinople ) was the wife of the Eastern Roman emperor Justinian .

Life

Theodora's early years are in the dark, as Prokop is the only source available, but who describes the Empress in a very negative way and has little substantive to report. In the later Oriental tradition, however, Theodora is transfigured as a saint, which almost completely devalues ​​the information in these sources for the early period. In his Anekdota (the “secret story”), a strange work that seems to follow the genre rules of the ancient diatribe, Prokop reports that Theodora's father Akakios was the bear keeper with the Greens (one of the two big circus parties ) and that she was two sisters have had. After her father's death, Theodora, whose beauty was praised, apparently hired herself as an actress - which, according to late antiquity , was largely to be equated with a prostitute . Even if Prokop is exaggerating in his vicious, partly pornographic portrayal, one can assume that Theodora's past life was actually not entirely “flawless” and therefore offered points of attack: Also in some sources that glorify the Empress as a saint alluded to a sinful youth.

After stays in the Orient and North Africa, around 520 in Constantinople , she came into contact with Petrus Sabbatius, the nephew of Emperor Justin I , who would later succeed his uncle under the name Justinian . In 524/525 she married Justinian, for which a change in the law was necessary, since senators were not allowed to marry actresses, especially since Euphemia , the wife of Emperor Justin, is said to have been strictly against the marriage - the marriage did not take place until after Euphemias death.

When Justinian became sole ruler in the summer of 527, he had Theodora bestowed the title of Augusta , which several other late antique imperial wives had also worn. In addition, she was given the same rank as the emperor himself during the court ceremony. She died on June 28, 548 in Constantinople - presumably of cancer - and was buried in the Apostle Church. Her niece Sophia was the wife of Justin II from 565 to 578 Roman empress.

rating

Later historians described Theodora as Justinian's co-regent. This claim goes back to an alleged statement that Theodora is said to have made during the Nika uprising in 532, when the circus parties allied against Justinian and, together with some senators, proclaimed Flavius ​​Hypatius as the opposing emperor: Justinian is said to have already been determined to do so Leaving the city when Theodora allegedly ignited his will to resist in a fiery speech: "The emperorship ( basileia ) is the most beautiful shroud." However, this effective speech is probably just a stylistic device Prokop, who enjoyed no less freedom in this respect than all other ancient ones Historians too, and therefore very probably not historically. After the uprising, Theodora was still a close advisor to her husband and knew how to increase her private fortune.

Theodora campaigned for “ monophysitism ” all her life . Presumably she had come into contact with him during her long stay in the Orient ; Perhaps their protection of the Monophysites was also the result of a kind of division of labor with Justinian, who on the one hand wanted to stage himself as an orthodox emperor, but on the other hand wanted to avoid an unnecessary conflict. In any case, it is attested that Theodora intervened several times in favor of the Monophysites and actively promoted the faith; As a result, it appears in the corresponding (mostly Syrian ) sources, as in John of Ephesus , in a much more positive light than in Prokop. The extent to which Theodora was able to influence her husband in a targeted manner is controversial. At least in foreign policy, her share is likely to have been small, even if she occasionally received delegates. However, she was certainly anxious to portray the image of an exemplary empress. Theodora tried again and again to intervene in government affairs; she was sometimes quite successful, especially in personnel matters. In this way she was finally able to bring about the disempowerment of John the Cappadoker . She was also responsible for the reprimanding of Belisarius , with whose wife Antonina she was friends, but whose influence she feared. In return, she sponsored Belisarius competitor Narses .

To this day, the image of Augusta is largely shaped by the hostile portrayal in Prokop's Anekdota - probably wrongly. It may be due to Theodora's initiative that Justinian passed laws against prostitution and the trafficking of girls . In addition, she was demonstratively active in charity . Theodora therefore probably had an influence on Justinian that could not be ignored, who occasionally referred to her as his God-given partner. But all of this - contrary to what older research assumed - did not go beyond what had previously been common. Unlike some other late antique empresses, no coins were minted with Theodora's image. A particularly great influence on her husband and his politics will probably not be assumed.

reception

Theodore's life was artistically taken up several times in the modern age, for example by the playwright Victorien Sardou in 1884 or the painter Benjamin Constant in two paintings. Xavier Leroux composed an opera (premiered in 1907), an epic silent film was made in 1921 and another film in 1954 that thematized Theodora's life. In all these works the influence of Prokop's descriptions is noticeable. Two exceptions are the novels The Bearkeeper's Daughter by Gillian Bradshaw (1987) and Theodora by Stella Duffy (2010).

In the feminist work of art The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago Theodora dedicated a place setting at the table.

literature

  • Hans-Georg Beck : Empress Theodora and Prokop: the historian and his victim . Munich 1986, ISBN 3-492-05221-5 (quite useful for evaluating the sources, but no longer based on the current state of research).
  • Audrey Becker: Théodora. De la femme de l'empereur à la conseillère du prince. In: Dialogues d'histoire ancienne 17 (2017), p. 387ff.
  • Henning Börm : Procopius, his predecessors, and the genesis of the Anecdota: Antimonarchic discourse in late antique historiography . In: Henning Börm (Ed.): Antimonarchic discourse in Antiquity . Stuttgart 2015, pp. 305–346 (study on Prokop's anekdota ).
  • Robert Browning : Justinian and Theodora. Splendor and greatness of the Byzantine imperial couple . Bergisch Gladbach 1981.
  • Paolo Cesaretti: Theodora. Ruler of Byzantium . Düsseldorf 2004 (popular scientific work that is aimed at a broad audience, but does not reflect the state of research; H-Soz-Kult review ).
  • James AS Evans: The empress Theodora. Partner of Justinian . Austin 2002 (slightly romanticizing, yet a useful and solid introduction, preferable to the popular science work of P. Cesaretti).
  • James AS Evans: The Power Game in Byzantium. Antonina and the Empress Theodora . London 2011.
  • Andreas Goltz: Feelings about power - power about feelings. To represent the rulers Theodora and Amalasuintha in the works of Prokops . In: Hormos 3 (2011), p. 236ff.
  • Hartmut Leppin : Theodora and Iustinian . In: Hildegard Temporini-Countess Vitzthum (Hrsg.): Die Kaiserinnen Roms. From Livia to Theodora . Munich 2002, pp. 437-481 (very good and concise overview, which makes it clear that Theodora's role did not go beyond that of other late antique empresses).
  • Mischa Meier : On the function of the Theodora speech in Prokop's historical work (BP 1,24,33-37) . In: Rheinisches Museum für Philologie 147 (2004), p. 88ff.
  • David Potter: Theodora. Actress, Empress, Saint. Oxford 2015, ISBN 978-0-19-974076-5 (current standard work).
  • Thomas Pratsch: Theodora of Byzantium. Courtesan and Empress . Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-17-019919-4 (concise presentation with many excerpts from sources; suitable as a first introduction, but with considerable weaknesses; review sehepunkte ).

Web links

Commons : Theodora I.  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ See Codex Iustinianus 5,4,23
  2. ^ Prokop, Bella , I 24, 37.
  3. ↑ See Meier, On the Function of Theodora Speech , summarized on p. 104: “All these circumstances therefore lead to the result that Theodora's famous speech is probably not historical - indeed it cannot be. With regard to the empress, her character and her relationship to Justinian, Prokop's description of the Nika uprising is therefore of little informational value. "
  4. ↑ See in summary David Potter: Theodora. Actress, Empress, Saint. Oxford 2015, pp. 209ff.
  5. ↑ David Potter: Theodora. Actress, Empress, Saint. Oxford 2015, p. 212f.
  6. ^ Brooklyn Museum: Theodora. In: brooklynmuseum.org. Retrieved October 20, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Theodora I.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Theodora
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Wife of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I.
DATE OF BIRTH around 500
DATE OF DEATH June 28, 548
Place of death Constantinople