Theodora's Role In The Byzantine Empire

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With power and authority, Theodora was one of Byzantium’s greatest rulers. She was one of the first rulers to support women's rights and she aided the stability of the Byzantine Empire. She played a large part of the success that her husband, Justinian I, had. Theodora was one of the most powerful women figures in the Byzantine Empire who supported women's rights and gained power and fame by advising Justinian I. Historians know very little about Theodora’s life as a young girl. Theodora had a tumultuous childhood through which she persevered. She was born around 479 AD. (Britannica.com “Theodora”) Her father as employed by the circus, or hippodrome, as a bear keeper and her mother was most likely an acrobat. (Mike Dash) She was the middle…show more content…
She aided and advised Justinian most of her life as the empress of Byzantium. In 532 AD (Mike Dash), the Nika Revolt occurred. It resulted from the two circus groups, the Greens and the Blues, fighting against each other. The circus was a very important part of Byzantine culture which included the most popular events such as chariot racing, juggling, circus acts, animal fights, and gladiator fighting. (“Blue versus Green: Rocking the Byzantine Empire”) The Greens represented people that were in the upper class and supported having a single ruler, whereas the Blues were considered to be the circus for the people and supported a democracy. Both groups of the circus started rioting and they stormed the city and burned a few buildings. They united against the upper authorities and started creating civil unrest, and many of the complaints and riots of the circus reached the emperor. Justinian was content to follow the advice of his viziers and concede to the circus groups, but Theodora held her ground and advised Justinian to fight back. Justinian then saved the empire and crushed the revolt with the aid of Theodora’s friend and general, Belisarius, at the price of 30,000 Byzantine lives. (Phang Sara Elise) Without Theodora, the civilization would have been taken over and ruled without stability and fallen sooner like the Roman
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