Theodora Porphyrogenita ( el, Θεοδώρα Πορφυρογέννητη, ''Theodōra Porphyrogenítē''; c. 98031 August 1056) was

Byzantine Empress This is a list of Roman and Byzantine empresses. A Roman empress was a woman who was the wife of a Roman emperor, the ruler of the Roman Empire. The Romans had no single term for the position: Latin and Greek titles such as '' augusta'' (Greek ...

from 21 April 1042 to her death on 31 August 1056, and sole ruler from 11 January 1055. She was born into the

Macedonian dynasty The Macedonian dynasty (Greek: Μακεδονική Δυναστεία) ruled the Byzantine Empire from 867 to 1056, following the Amorian dynasty. During this period, the Byzantine state reached its greatest extent since the Muslim conquests, a ...

that ruled the

Eastern Roman Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantin ...

for almost 200 years. Theodora was the youngest daughter of Emperor Constantine VIII. After Theodora's father died in 1028, her older sister Zoë co-ruled with her husbands Romanos III and Michael IV, keeping Theodora closely watched. After two foiled plots, Theodora was exiled to an island monastery in the

Sea of Marmara The Sea of Marmara,; grc, Προποντίς, Προποντίδα, Propontís, Propontída also known as the Marmara Sea, is an inland sea located entirely within the borders of Turkey. It connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea via t ...

in 1031. A decade later, the people of Constantinople rose against Michael IV's nephew and successor, Michael V, and insisted that Theodora return to rule alongside Zoë. After 65 days Zoë married again, to Constantine IX, who assumed the imperial responsibilities. Theodora seemingly retired to a

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...

after Zoë's death in 1050. When Constantine died, the 74-year-old Theodora returned to the throne despite fierce opposition from court officials and military claimants. For 16 months she ruled as empress in her own right before succumbing to a sudden illness and dying at 76. She was the last ruler of the Macedonian line.

Early life

Histamenon of Basil II & Constantine VIII

Theodora was the third and youngest daughter of Byzantine Emperor

Constantine VIII Constantine VIII Porphyrogenitus ( el, Κωνσταντῖνος Πορφυρογέννητος, ''Kōnstantinos Porphyrogénnetos''; 960 – 11/12 November 1028) was ''de jure'' Byzantine emperor from 962 until his death. He was the youn ...

and

Helena, daughter of Alypius Helena Alypia (in Greek: Ελένη Αλυπία) was a Byzantine Empress consort as the wife of Byzantine Emperor Constantine VIII. Life Very little is known about her, as she is only briefly mentioned in the ''Chronographia'' of Michael Psellos, ...

.Kazhdan She was ''

Porphyrogenita Traditionally, born in the purple (sometimes "born to the purple") was a category of members of royal families born during the reign of their parent. This notion was later loosely expanded to include all children born of prominent or high-ranking ...

'',Norwich "born into the purple"; the appellation for a child born in the capital to a reigning emperor. Her father became co-emperor in 962 and sole emperor upon the death of his brother

Basil II Basil II Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος ;) and, most often, the Purple-born ( gr, ὁ πορφυρογέννητος, translit=ho porphyrogennetos).. 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar S ...

in 1025. His reign as sole emperor lasted less than three years, from 15 December 1025 to 12 November 1028. As an eligible imperial princess, Theodora was considered as a possible bride for the Holy Roman Emperor in the west, Otto III, in 996. However, she was overlooked in favour of her sister Zoë. Otto III died before any marriage could occur. Basil II prevented his nieces from marrying any of the Byzantine nobility, calculating that such a marriage would have given their husbands a claim on the imperial throne. As women, Theodora and Zoë were unable to exercise any state authority; their only say in this was in choosing, or more likely accepting or not, a husband who would acquire their authority upon marriage.Garland, ''Zoe Porphyrogenita'' Consequently, Theodora lived a life of virtual obscurity in the imperial ''

gynaeceum In Ancient Greece, the gynaeceum ( gr, γυναικεῖον ''gynaikeion'', from Ancient Greek ''gynaikeia'' "part of the house reserved for the women"; literally "of ''or'' belonging to women, feminine") or the gynaeconitis ( ''gynaikōnitis'' ...

'' (women's quarters). Intelligent and possessing a strong and austere character, Theodora defied Constantine--by then, sole emperor--by refusing to marry the man her father had chosen to succeed him,

Romanos Argyros Romanos III Argyros ( el, Ρωμανός Αργυρός; Latinized Romanus III Argyrus; 968 – 11 April 1034), or Argyropoulos was Byzantine Emperor from 1028 until his death. He was a Byzantine noble and senior official in Constantinople whe ...

, stating that Romanos was already married—his wife having become a

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

to allow Romanos to marry into the imperial family.Finlay. Theodora further claimed that since Romanos and she were third cousins, it was too close a blood relationship for marriage to occur. Consequently, Constantine VIII chose Theodora's sister. Zoë married Romanos three days before her father died. Empress Zoe tonsures her sister Theodora

Empress Zoe tonsures her sister Theodora

With the accession of Romanos, Theodora prudently retreated back into the ''gynaeceum'', with its daily religious routines. Still, Zoë persuaded her husband to appoint one of his own men as the chief of Theodora's household, with orders to spy on her. Shortly afterwards, Theodora was accused of plotting to marry the Bulgarian prince Presian and usurp the throne with him. Presian was blinded and sent to a monastery; Theodora was not punished. In 1031 she was implicated in a similar conspiracy, this time with Constantine Diogenes, the Archon of

Sirmium Sirmium was a city in the Roman province of Pannonia, located on the Sava river, on the site of modern Sremska Mitrovica in the Vojvodina autonomous provice of Serbia. First mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by Illyrian ...

. Theodora was forcibly confined in the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

of Petrion. During a visit, Zoë compelled her sister to take Holy Orders. Theodora remained there for the next 11 years as Zoë managed the empire with her husbands Romanos III and, after his death, Michael IV.

Co-empress with Zoë

With Michael IV's death in December 1041, Zoë adopted Michael's nephew, who was crowned as

Michael V Michael V may refer to: * Michael V Kalaphates (1015–1042), Byzantine Emperor *Coptic Pope Michael V of Alexandria (fl. 1145–1146) * Michael V. (born 1969), Filipino actor and comedian {{hndis, Michael 05 *

Secondary sources

* George Finlay, ''History of the Byzantine Empire from 716–1057'', William Blackwood & Sons, 1853 * * * * * *

External links

Theodora coinage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theodora 1040s in the Byzantine Empire 1050s in the Byzantine Empire 1056 deaths 10th-century Byzantine women 11th-century Byzantine emperors 11th-century Byzantine empresses 11th-century women rulers 980s births Burials at the Church of the Holy Apostles Daughters of Byzantine emperors Eastern Orthodox monarchs Byzantine Empresses regnant Macedonian dynasty Porphyrogennetoi