Theodora: Empress of Byzantium, my review
Jul. 18th, 2023 10:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridlorehttps://a.co/d/5sN43Jt
Five Stars
We need a Netflix series about this woman.
Born into the lowest rung of the social ladder in Constantinople, among the actors and circus workers, Theodora from an early age learned to use her talents and looks to rise in society. A scholar in an era when women weren't supposed to do that, she studied theology to support her monophysite beliefs.
She married Petrus Sabbatius Justinianus, nephew of Justin I, after he changed the law for them. Once empress, she ran the court while Justinian focused on wars and reconquering the West. Her long experience as a courtesan taught her to have an informer in every bed and kitchen, to control the flow of rumors, and run the Great Palace like a machine. She and her husband conferred on everything, and she even ruled in Justinian's name when he was stricken with the plague.
A remarkable woman, and I've barely scratched the surface. Author Paolo Cesaretti writes this in almost the style of a novel. Events unfold like you are there, which helps understand her journey from the side alleys to the throne. What's interesting, and something Cesaretti freely admits, is that most of our information about Theodora comes from Procopius of Caesarea and his Secret History, an absolute diatribe against Justinian and Theodora, calling them both literal demons.
So using that and then finding the facts was great work. Anyone interested in Roman history or great women should read this.
Five Stars
We need a Netflix series about this woman.
Born into the lowest rung of the social ladder in Constantinople, among the actors and circus workers, Theodora from an early age learned to use her talents and looks to rise in society. A scholar in an era when women weren't supposed to do that, she studied theology to support her monophysite beliefs.
She married Petrus Sabbatius Justinianus, nephew of Justin I, after he changed the law for them. Once empress, she ran the court while Justinian focused on wars and reconquering the West. Her long experience as a courtesan taught her to have an informer in every bed and kitchen, to control the flow of rumors, and run the Great Palace like a machine. She and her husband conferred on everything, and she even ruled in Justinian's name when he was stricken with the plague.
A remarkable woman, and I've barely scratched the surface. Author Paolo Cesaretti writes this in almost the style of a novel. Events unfold like you are there, which helps understand her journey from the side alleys to the throne. What's interesting, and something Cesaretti freely admits, is that most of our information about Theodora comes from Procopius of Caesarea and his Secret History, an absolute diatribe against Justinian and Theodora, calling them both literal demons.
So using that and then finding the facts was great work. Anyone interested in Roman history or great women should read this.