Prior to Anecdota or Secret History, Procopius had written nothing but praise about the Justinian administration, so the book came as something of a surprise to the academic community when it was re-discovered centuries after it was written in 550 CE. Alas, much of what we know about Theodora comes from the poisonous pen of Procopius of Caesarea-–primary Justinian (483 – 565 CE) historian. Yet while her image on the mosaic is discernible, due to the incoherent misogynist and classist ramblings of an ancient chronicler the image she presents to history is somewhat less so. More partner than figurehead, Theodora is considered to have been one of the most powerful and influential of all empresses. Encircled in glittering gold and bedecked in crown jewels, her visage befits the powerful Byzantine Roman empress she once was. He also explores the pivotal role Theodora played in the great religious controversy of her time, involving a breach between sects in the Christian church.The hooded gaze of an inscrutable Theodora (c.497- 548 CE) greets hundreds of thousands of visitors each year as they pay their respects to her mosaic at the Basilica of Saint Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. In particular, he focuses on the ways in which Theodora worked to improve the lives of women. He follows her from her childhood as a Hippodrome bearkeeper's daughter to her imperial roles as Justinian's most trusted counsellor and as an effective and powerful advocate for the downtrodden. In this book, James Allan Evans provides an account of the life and times of the Empress Theodora. Justinian's respect for and trust in Theodora gave her power in her own right unmatched by almost any other Roman or Byzantine empress. Yet she attracted the love of the future emperor Justinian, who, to the astonishment of proper society, made her not only his wife but also his partner in government. Born into the lowest class of Byzantine society, she worked as an actress in burlesque theatre. Even by modern standards, the Empress Theodora had a remarkable rise to power.
0 kommentar(er)
