the.com/theodora
a brothel act who became empress and rewrote the rules of the roman world.
means a byzantine empress, wife of justinian i, who rose from actress and courtesan to the most powerful woman in the eastern roman empire.
from born around 500 ad to a bear-trainer at constantinople's hippodrome, she performed on stage in roles ancient sources call scandalous before catching the eye of justinian, then heir to the throne; he changed the law just to marry her.
law changedjustinian repealed rules barring senators from marrying actresses
famous standtalked justinian out of fleeing the nika riots, saved his throne
co-ruler statusnamed on laws and received foreign envoys as equal partner
womens rightspushed laws against forced prostitution and for divorce protections
for instance
nika riots 532 — her speech in the palace crushed a revolt that nearly toppled justinian
hagia sophia mosaics — her portrait still stands in san vitale, ravenna, 547 ad
procopius secret history — a contemporary historian trashed her reputation in a hidden manuscript