How old was theodora when she married justinian
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Theodora (wife of Justinian I)
Byzantine empress from 527 to 548
For other uses, see Theodora.
Theodora (; Greek: Θεοδώρα; c. 490/500 – 28 June 548)[1] was a Byzantine empress and wife of emperor Justinian I. She was from humble origins and became empress when her husband became emperor in 527. She was one of his chief advisers. Theodora is recognized as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church, and commemorated on 14 November.[2]
Early years
Much of her early life, including the date and place of her birth, is uncertain: for instance, according to Michael the Syrian, her birthplace was in Mabbug, Syria;[3]Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos says Theodora is a native of Cyprus;[4] and the Patria, attributed to George Codinus, claims Theodora came from Paphlagonia.[5] 21st-century historian Clive Foss has also suggested the Egyptian city of Alexandria as a potential place of her birth.[6] The modern consensus seems to be that Theodora most likely was born aroun
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Byzantine Empire from Constantine to Justinian
Learning Objective
- Discuss the accomplishments and failures of Emperor Justinian the Great
Key Points
- Emperor Justinian the Great was responsible for substantial expansion of the Byzantine Empire, and for conquering Africa, Spain, Rome, and most of Italy.
- Justinian was responsible for the construction of the Hagia Sophia, the center of Christianity in Constantinople. Even today, the Hagia Sophia is recognized as one of the greatest buildings in the world.
- Justinian also systematized the Roman legal code that served as the basis for law in the Byzantine Empire.
- After a plague reduced the Byzantine population, they lost Rome and Italy to the Ostrogoths, and several important cities to the Persians.
Terms
Hagia Sophia
A church built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian; the center of Christianity in Constantinople and one of the greatest buildings in the world to this day. It is now a mosque in the Muslim Istanbul.
Nika riots
When angry racing fans, already angry over rising taxes, became enraged at Emperor Justinian for a
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Theodora
(b. 500, Crete or Syria, exact location unknown; d. 548, Constantinople)
Empress Theodora was born into the lowest classes of Byzantine society, eventually advancing to rule over the Byzantine Empire equally with her husband.
She grew up on the outskirts of the Byzantine Empire with a father who was an animal trainer. After his death, Theodora took the stage as an actress to support the family. During this time, the profession was considered scandalous—being an actress was synonymous with being a prostitute—but Theodora took every opportunity to move up in a very rigid class system. In 516, at the age of sixteen, she traveled to Alexandria, Egypt, where she discovered and adopted Monophysitism, the belief that Jesus Christ was wholly divine. Theodora converted, renouncing her former career and lifestyle.
Theodora met Justinian I in 522, who was at that time heir to the throne. Justinian wanted to wed immediately, but as heir, he was forbidden to marry an actress, even one who had reformed. Justinian had this law repealed the following year, and the two
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