Theodora (wife of Justinian I)

Theodora (ˌθiːəˈdɔːrə; Greek: Θεοδώρα; 500 - 28 June 548) was a Byzantine empress through her marriage to emperor Justinian. She became empress upon Justinian's accession in 527 and was one of his chief advisers. Both she and Justinian were 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. Much of Theodora's early life is unknown. The foremost source of information on her life before marrying Justinian is Procopius's Secret History, which is often regarded as slanderous. According to Michael the Syrian, her birthplace was in Mabbug, Syria; Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos names Theodora a native of Cyprus, while the Patria, attributed to George Codinus, claims Theodora came from Paphlagonia. She was born c. AD 500. 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. Her parents had two more daughters, the eldest named Comito and the youngest Anastasia. After her father's death, her mother remarried quickly, but the family lacked a source of income, as Acacius's position was given away due to a bribe paid to a faction official called Asterius. When Theodora was four, her mother brought her children wearing garlands into the Hippodrome and presented them as suppliants to the Green faction, but they rebuffed her efforts. Consequently, Theodora's mother approached the Blue faction. The Blues took pity on their family and gave the open position of bear keeper to Theodora's stepfather, saving them from destitution. 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.