Theodora (wife of Justinian I)

Rare card · No. 44894

Theodora (; Greek: Θεοδώρα; c. 490/500 – 28 June 548) was the wife of emperor Justinian I and Eastern Roman empress from 527 until her death. Theodora was one of Justinian's chief political advisers. She is recognized as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches, and commemorated on 14 November. Theodora was born in Constantinople, where her father was a bear keeper for the circus. Her father unfortunately passed away, which resulted in Theodora, her mother and her two sisters to look for new jobs, and based on translates we can suspect that she was either working in a brothel or in the theatre. She likely met Justinian sometime before 524. They subsequently married and Theodora was crowned empress when Justinian became emperor in 527. She proved an able advisor and empress. Justinian consulted Theodora on every important matter, shared his views with her, and allowed her to express her opinions both in council meetings and in private. He even permitted her to analyze...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0