Theodora

Actress, Empress, Saint

David Potter

$74.95

Hardback

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English

Oxford University Press
11 February 2016

History; Ancient history: to c 500 CE; Classical history & classical civilisation; Early history: c 500 to c 1450&1500; Gender studies: women

Series: Women in Antiquity

Two of the most famous mosaics from the Byzantine period, from the church of San Vitale in Ravenna, depict the sixth-century Emperor Justinian and, on the wall facing him, his wife, Theodora (497-548). This magestic portrait gives no inkling to Theodora's very humble beginnings or her improbable rise to fame and power.

Raised in a family of circus performers near Constantinople's Hippodrome, she became one of the most influential women in Byzantine history. It was on stage as an actress-or, as some said, stage whore -that Theodora caught the attention of the future emperor Justinian. To the shock of the ruling elite, the two were married, and when Justinian assumed power in 527, they ruled the Easter Roman Empire together. Their reign was the most celebrated in Byzantine history, bringing wealth, prestige, and even Rome itself back to the Empire. During this time Theodora was Justinian's most trusted advisor, and her influence on the Empire is discernible in a variety of important ways. Her interest in social causes, for example, is seen in the added legal protections for women and the lower classes.

Theodora's most lasting impact was her support for the unorthodox Christian sect of Monophysitism. Although her husband was orthodox, Theodora maintained her religions independence, and today in Syria, where the sect still thrives, she is revered as a saint. In Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint, renowned historian David Potter provides a new account of the life and times of this important historical figure. Potter penetrates the highly biased accounts of her found in the writings of her contemporaries and takes advantage of the latest research on early Byzantium to craft a modern, well-rounded, and engaging narrative of Theodora's life.

There is simply nothing of this scope currently available to historians or the general reader, and those with an interest in ancient and women's history will be intrigued by Potter's account of this fascinating figure.

By: David Potter
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 236mm, Width: 162mm, Spine: 22mm
Weight: 544g
ISBN: 9780199740765
ISBN 10: 0199740763
Series: Women in Antiquity
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 11 February 2016
Audience: College/higher education , A / AS level , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Contents List of Maps List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Constantinople 2. Telling Nasty Stories 3. Sex and the Stage 4. Factions and Networks 5. Patrician 6. The Succession 7. Augusta: The First Five Years 8. Revolution 9. War and Religion 10. Plots and Plague 11. Last Years 12. Legacy Dramatis Personae Timeline Abbreviations Bibliography Notes

David Potter is Francis W. Kelsey Collegiate Professor of Greek and Roman History and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Greek and Latin at the University of Michigan. His books include Constantine the Emperor (OUP 2012), The Victor's Crown (OUP 2011), and Emperors of Rome.

Reviews for Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint

David Potter is to be warmly congratulated on having written a book that offers a gripping portrait of a remarkable woman that is also the portrait of a remarkable age. Peter Brown, The New York Review of Books a notable biography of an overlooked figure Publishers Weekly Potter a distinguished ancient historian provides a lucid, jargon-free and often witty account that ranges far beyond straight biography to a wideranging, detailed panorama of cultural, military, political and religious events and personalities, both influencing and influenced by our heroine. Barry Baldwin, Fortean Times