St. Theodora Empress of Byzantium

• Preferred Name: St. Theodora Empress of Byzantium^{[1] [2]}
  
• Gender: F
  
• Nationality: Greece
  
• FSID: GXC1-4P3
  
• Birth: ABT 500 in Constantinople, Anatolia, Byzantine Empire at LATI: N1.15 LONG: E8.75
  
• Burial: 528 in Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople, Anatolia at LATI: N9 LONG: E5
  
• Death: 28 JUN 548 in Constantinople, Anatolia, Byzantine Empire at LATI: N1.15 LONG: E8.75
  
• http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: Empress of ByzantiumBET 4 APR 527 AND 28 JUN 548 in Constantinople, Anatolia at LATI: N1.0136 LONG: E8.955
  

• m. MAR 526

1. verch empress theodora , b. BET 500 AND 528 in Byzantine Empire     d. in Byzantine Empire

1. Title: Wikipedia - Theodora
   Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodora_(wife_of_Justinian_I);
   Note: Theodora Augusta Empress consort of the Byzantine Empire Tenure 4 April 527 – 28 June 548 Coronation 4 April 527 Born c. 500 Died 28 June 548 (aged 48) Constantinople Burial Church of the Holy Apostles Spouse Justinian I Dynasty Justinian Religion Miaphysitism Theodora (/ˌθiːəˈdɔːrə/; Greek: Θεοδώρα; c. 500 – 28 June 548) was Byzantine empress by marriage to emperor Justinian. She became empress upon Justinian's accession in 527 and was one of his chief advisers, albeit from humble origins. Along with her spouse, Theodora is a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and in the Oriental Orthodox Church, commemorated on 14 November and 28 June respectively. She is sometimes enumerated as Theodora I.[1] Historiography The main historical sources for her life are the works of her contemporary Procopius. The historian offered three different portrayals of the empress. The Wars of Justinian, largely completed in 545, paints a picture of a courageous and influential empress who saved the throne for Justinian. Later, he wrote the Secret History. The work has sometimes been interpreted as representing a deep disillusionment with the emperor Justinian, the empress, and even his patron Belisarius. Justinian is depicted as cruel, venal, prodigal, demonic and incompetent; as for Theodora, the reader is given a detailed portrayal of vulgarity and underage sex, combined with shrewish and calculating mean-spiritedness. Alternatively, scholars versed in political rhetoric of the era have viewed these statements from the Secret History as formulaic expressions within the tradition of invective. Procopius' Buildings of Justinian, written probably after Secret History, is a panegyric which paints Justinian and Theodora as a pious couple and presents particularly flattering portrayals of them. Besides her piety, her beauty is praised within the conventional language of the text's rhetorical form. Although Theodora was dead when this work was published, Justinian was alive, and perhaps commissioned the work.[2] Her contemporary John of Ephesus writes about Theodora in his Lives of the Eastern Saints and mentions an illegitimate daughter.[3] Theophanes the Confessor mentions some familial relations of Theodora to figures not mentioned by Procopius. Victor Tonnennensis notes her familial relation to the next empress, Sophia. Michael the Syrian, the Chronicle of 1234 and Bar-Hebraeus place her origin in the city of Daman, near Kallinikos, Syria. They make an alternate account compared to Procopius by making Theodora the daughter of a priest, trained in the pious practices of Miaphysitism since birth. These are late Miaphysite sources and record her depiction among members of their creed. The Miaphysites have a tendency to regard Theodora as one of their own. Their account is also an alternative to what is told by the contemporary John of Ephesus.[4] Many modern scholars prefer Procopius' account.[3] Early year Theodora was of Greek descent,[5] but there are several indications of her possible birthplace. According to Michael the Syrian, her birthplace was in Mabbug, Syria;[6] Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos names Theodora a native of Cyprus,[7] while the Patria, attributed to George Codinus, claims Theodora came from Paphlagonia. She was born c. AD 500.[8] Her father, Acacius, was a bear trainer of the hippodrome's Green faction in Constantinople. Her mother, whose name is not recorded, was a dancer and an actress.[9] Her parents had two more daughters, the eldest named Comito and the youngest Anastasia.[10] After her father's death, when Theodora was four,[11] her mother brought her children wearing garlands into the hippodrome and presented them as suppliants to the Blue faction. From then on, Theodora would be their supporter. According to Procopius' Secret History, Theodora followed her sister Comito's example from an early age and worked in a Constantinople brothel serving low and high status customers; later, she performed on stage. In his famous account of Theodora, itself based on Secret History, Edward Gibbon wrote: Her venal charms were abandoned to a promiscuous crowd of citizens and strangers of every rank, and of every position; the fortunate lover who had been promised a night of enjoyment, was often driven from her bed by a stronger or more wealthy favourite; and when she passed through the streets, her presence was avoided by all who wished to escape either the scandal or the temptation.[12] Theodora, in Procopius's account, made a name for herself with her salacious portrayal of Leda and the Swan.[13][14] Employment as an actress at the time would include both "indecent exhibitions on stage" and providing sexual services off stage. During this time, she may have met the future wife of Belisarius, Antonina, who would become a part of the women's court led by Theodora. Later, Theodora traveled to North Africa as the concubine of a Syrian official named Hecebolus when he went to the Libyan Pentapolis as governor.[15] Abandoned and maltreated by Hecebolus, on her way back to the capital of the Byzantine Empire, she settled for a while in Alexandria, Egypt. She is speculated by some to have met Patriarch Timothy III in Alexandria, who was Miaphysite, and it may be at that time that she converted to Miaphysite Christianity. From Alexandria, she went to Antioch, where she met a Blue faction's dancer, Macedonia, who was perhaps an informer of Justinian. When Justinian sought to marry Theodora, he was prevented by a Roman law from Constantine's time that barred anyone of senatorial rank from marrying actresses. In 524, Byzantine emperor Justin passed a new law, decreeing that reformed actresses could thereafter legally marry outside their rank if approved by the emperor. The same law stated that daughters of these actresses would also be free to marry a man of any rank, which would have allowed Theodora's illegitimate daughter (whose name has been lost) to marry one of the relatives of previous emperor Anastasius. Soon after Justin's law was passed, Justinian married Theodora.[15] Empress When Justinian succeeded to the throne in 527, two years after the marriage, Theodora was crowned Augusta and became empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. She shared in his decisions, plans and political strategies, and participated in state councils. Justinian once called her his "partner in my deliberations,"[16] in Novel 8.1 (AD 535), an anti-corruption legislation, where provincial officials had to take an oath to her as well as the emperor. She had her official companions and her royal seal to carry out her orders.[citation needed] The emperor sought her views on many matters before issuing orders. The Nika riots In January 532, two rival political factions in the Empire, the Blues and the Greens, incited a riot during a chariot race in the hippodrome. The riots stemmed from many grievances, some of which had resulted from Justinian and Theodora's own actions.[17] The rioters set many public buildings on fire, and proclaimed a new emperor, Hypatius, the nephew of former emperor Anastasius I. Unable to control the mob, Justinian and his officials prepared to flee. According to Procopius, at a meeting of the government council, Theodora spoke out against leaving the palace and underlined the significance of someone who died as a ruler instead of living as an exile or in hiding, saying, "royal purple is the noblest shroud".[18] As the emperor and his counsellors were still preparing their project, Theodora reportedly interrupted them and claimed: "My lords, the present occasion is too serious to allow me to follow the convention that a woman should not speak in a man's council. Those whose interests are threatened by extreme danger should think only of the wisest course of action, not of conventions. In my opinion, flight is not the right course, even if it should bring us to safety. It is impossible for a person, having been born into this world, not to die; but for one who has reigned it is intolerable to be a fugitive. May I never be deprived of this purple robe, and may I never see the day when those who meet me do not call me empress. If you wish to save yourself, my lord, there is no difficulty. We are rich; over there is the sea, and yonder are the ships. Yet reflect for a moment whether, when you have once escaped to a place of security, you would not gladly exchange such safety for death. As for me, I agree with the adage that the royal purple is the noblest shroud."[19] Her determined speech convinced them all, including Justinian himself, who had been preparing to run. As a result, Justinian ordered his loyal troops, led by the officers, Belisarius and Mundus, to attack the demonstrators in the hippodrome, killing (according to Procopius) over 30,000 rebels. Some scholars have interpreted Procopius' account as framed to impugn Justinian with the implication that he was more cowardly than his wife, and that the wording of her speech is devised by Procopius, changing the term "tyranny" from an ancient saying to "royal purple", possibly reflecting Procopius' desire to link Justinian to ancient tyrants.[20] Despite his claims that he was unwillingly named emperor by the mob, Hypatius was also put to death, apparently at Theodora's insistence.[21] article continues...
   
2. Title: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
   Author: scroll down to Petrus Sabbatius aka Justinian I, Emperor of Byzantium
   Publication: Name: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BYZANTIUM.htm#_Toc1905646;
   Note: PETRUS SABBATIUS (Tauresium 11 May 482-14 Nov 565). He was later known as IUSTINIAN. The Pauli Historiæ Romanæ records the accession of "Iustinianus sororis Iustini filius" as emperor[233]. Procopius records that "his nephew Justinian, while still a youth, was the virtual ruler" after the accession of Emperor Iustinus[234]. The Victoris Tonnennensis Episcopi Chronicon records that "Iustinianus nepos Iustini" was appointed magister militum ordinarius in 520, installed as cæsar by the senate in 525 and succeeded as emperor in 527, ruling for 39 years and 7 months[235]. Procopius records that Iustinian seized power from his uncle after obliging him to change the law to permit Iustinian to marry the courtesan Theodora, and ascended the throne with her three days before Easter[236]. Cedrenus records that "Justinianum sororis suæ filium" was crowned 14 Apr (in 527) and ruled four months with "Justinus"[237]. He succeeded as Emperor IUSTINIAN I, sole emperor from his maternal uncle's death in 527. The Victoris Tonnennensis Episcopi Chronicon records the death in 567 of "Iustinianus"[238]. Cedrenus records that Iustinian ruled for thirty-eight years, seven months and thirteen days[239]. m ([526/Mar 527]) THEODORA, daughter of AKAKIOS "the Bearkeeper" & his wife --- (-Jun or 11 Jul 548, bur Constantinople Church of the Holy Apostles). The Victoris Tonnennensis Episcopi Chronicon names "Theodora" as wife of Emperor Iustinian I and, in a later passage, her death from cancer in 549 at the synod of Calchedon[240]. Procopius records that "Acacius…the keeper of wild beasts used in the amphitheatre in Constantinople…nicknamed the Bearkeeper" died during the reign of Emperor Anastasios leaving "three daughters…Comito, Theodora and Anastasia, of whom the eldest was not yet seven years old", that "their mother [later] put them on the stage", and that Iustinian "fell violently in love with" Theodora[241]. Procopius records that Iustinian seized power from his uncle after obliging him to change the law to permit Iustinian to marry the courtesan Theodora, and ascended the throne with her three days before Easter[242]. Theophanes records the death "mense Iunio, indictione undecima" of "imperatrix Theodora"[243]. Cedrenus records the death in 11 Jul of "Theodora Augusta" in the twenty-first year of her husband’s reign[244]. Procopius’s Anecdota records that Theodora had an illegitimate son "Ioannem" by an Arab father[245], presumably born before her marriage. Emperor Konstantinos VII's De Ceremoniis Aulæ records that "Theodora, Magni Iustiniani uxor" was buried in the church of the Holy Apostles[246]. Iustinian I & his wife had [one possible child]: i) [daughter . Procopius’s Anecdota record that "Anastasio ex filia nepoti [Theodoram]" married "Ioanninam Belisarii filius"[247]. Iustinian I had [one possible illegitimate son by an unknown mistress]: ii) [THEODOROS "Tzirus" (-after [573]).