Theodora (11th century)

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For other people of the same name, see Theodora (disambiguation).
Theodora Porphyrogenita
Empress regnant of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine coin showing Jesus Christ and Empress Theodora on the right.
Reign 19 April 1042 – 31 August 1056
(&000000000000001400000014 years, &0000000000000134000000134 days)
Predecessor Michael V & Zoe Porphyrogenita
Successor Michael VI
Co-reign Zoe Porphyrogenita[1] (1042-1050)
Constantine IX (1042-1055)
Dynasty Macedonian
Father Constantine VIII
Mother Helena
Born c. 980
Constantinople
Died late August/early September 1056
(aged 75–76)
Constantinople
Burial Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople

Theodora (Greek: Θεοδώρα, Theodōra, 980 – late August/early September, 1056) was a Byzantine Empress. Born into the Macedonian dynasty that had ruled the Byzantine Empire for almost two hundred years, she was co-empress with her sister Zoe for two months in 1042 and sole empress from January 11, 1055 to after August 31, 1056. She was the last of the Macedonian line, and upon her death, the empire entered a period of decline that lasted until the accession of Alexios I Komnenos in 1081.

Contents

[edit] Early life

She was the youngest daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VIII and Helena, daughter of Alypius.[2] Her position as an eligible imperial princess saw her considered as a possible bride for the Holy Roman Emperor in the west, Otto III in 996.[3] Apparently a very plain woman, she was overlooked in favour of her sister Zoe, who was selected as the potential bride, but Otto III died before she could be wed.[4] From that point onwards, Theodora lived a life of virtual total obscurity in the imperial gynaeceum[5] until circumstances (her uncle Basil II dying childless and her dying father not siring any sons) forced her into the centre of imperial politics.[6] Intelligent, and possessing a strong and austere character, Theodora defied her father by refusing to marry the man he had chosen to succeed him, Romanos Argyros, on the pretext that, firstly, Romanos was already married – his wife having become a monastic to allow Romanos to marry into the imperial family.[7] Secondly, she claimed that since Romanos and she were third cousins, it was too close a blood relationship for marriage to occur.[8] Consequently, Constantine VII was forced to choose Theodora’s sister, Zoe, who married Romanos instead in 1028.[9]

With the accession of Romanos, Theodora prudently retreated back into the gynaeceum, with its daily religious routines,[10] but this did not preserve her from her sister’s jealousy. Never having forgiven Theodora for being their father’s first choice,[11] Zoe convinced her husband to appoint one of his own men as the chief of Theodora’s household, with orders to spy on Theodora.[12] Shortly afterwards, Theodora was accused of plotting to usurp the throne with Presian of Bulgaria. Although Presian was blinded and then sent to a monastery, Theodora was not condemned, but in 1031 she was again implicated in another conspiracy, this time with Constantine Diogenes, the Archon of Sirmium.[13] She was accused of being part of the conspiracy, and was forcibly confined in the monastery of Petrion. Zoe later visited her sister and forced her to take Holy Orders.[14] She would remain there for the next thirteen years, as Zoe managed the empire with her husbands, Romanos III and, after his death, Michael IV.

[edit] Co-empress with Zoe

With Michael IV’s death in December 1041, Zoe adopted Michael’s nephew, who was crowned as Michael V.[15] Although he promised to respect Zoe, he promptly banished her to a monastery on Princes' Islands on charges of attempted regicide.[16] This treatment of the legitimate heir to the Macedonian Dynasty caused a popular uprising in Constantinople, and on April 19, 1042, the people dethroned Michael V in support of not only Zoe, but Theodora as well. Michael V, desperate to keep his throne, initially brought Zoe back from Princes’ Island and displayed her to the people,[17] but his insistence that he continue to rule alongside Zoe was rejected. [18] Key members of the court decided that flighty Zoe needed a co-ruler, and that it should be her sister Theodora. A delegation headed by the Patrician Constantine Cabasilas[19] went to the monastery at Petrion to convince Theodora to become co-empress alongside her sister.[18] Theodora rejected their pleas out of hand, and fled to the convent chapel to seek sanctuary. Constantine and his retinue pursued her, forcibly dragged her out and exchanged her monastic clothes for imperial ones.[19] At an assembly at Hagia Sophia, the people escorted a furious Theodora from Petrion, and proclaimed her empress along with Zoe.[20] After crowning Theodora, the mob stormed the palace, forcing Michael V to escape to a monastery.[21]

Zoe immediately assumed power and tried to force Theodora back to her monastery, but the Senate and the people demanded that the two sisters should jointly reign.[22] In her first act, Theodora was called upon to do what her sister would not – deal with Michael V. Zoe, weak and easily manipulated, wanted to pardon and free Michael. Theodora was made of firmer stuff; at first she guaranteed Michael’s safety before she ordered that Michael be blinded and spend the rest of his life as a monk.[23] With Michael V dealt with, Theodora refused to leave Hagia Sophia until she had received word from Zoe, some 24 hours after Theodora had been crowned.[24] Officially, while Theodora was the junior empress, and her throne was situated slightly behind Zoe’s in all public occasions, she was the driving force behind the joint administration. Both sisters then proceeded to administer the empire, focusing on curbing the sale of public offices and the administration of justice.[25] Although Michael Psellus claimed the joint reign was a complete failure, John Scylitzes stated that they were very conscientious in rectifying the abuses of the previous reigns.[26]

Although Theodora and Zoe appeared together at meetings of the Senate, or when they gave public audiences, it was soon apparent that their joint reign was under considerable strain.[27] Zoe was still jealous of Theodora, and had no desire to administer the empire, but would not allow Theodora to conduct public business alone. The court soon began to split in two, with factions forming behind each empress.[27] After two months of increasing acrimony between the two, Zoe decided to search for a new husband, thereby denying Theodora the opportunity to increase her influence, stemming from her sister’s obvious talents for governing.[28] She eventually married Constantine IX Monomachos, on June 11, 1042, and the management of the empire reverted to him.[29] Although officially Theodora and Zoe continued to be recognised as empresses and Theodora continued to appear at all official functions, all power devolved onto her brother-in-law. Nevertheless she was still able to exert some influence at court, as demonstrated by her ordering the arrest and blinding of John the Eunuch, the powerful minister who ran the courts of Romanos III, Michael IV and Michael V, and who had been living in exile after the fall of Michael V.[30]

Constantine IX’s preferential treatment of his mistress in the early part of his reign saw rumours spread that she was planning to murder both Zoe and Theodora.[31] This led to a popular uprising by the citizens of Constantinople in 1044, which was only quietened by the appearance of Zoe and Theodora at a balcony, who reassured the mob that they were not in any danger of assassination.[32]

[edit] Return to power

Zoe eventually died in 1050, while Constantine IX eventually passed away on January 11, 1055. As Constantine lay dying, he was persuaded by his councillors, chiefly the logothetes tou dromou John Leichoudes, to ignore the rights of Theodora and to pass the throne to the doux of Bulgaria, Nikephoros Proteuon.[33] However, their plans were pre-empted by Theodora, who, in spite of her seventy years of age, vigorously reasserted her dormant rights to rule. She was brought out of her retirement in a convent, convened the Senate and was proclaimed "emperor" by the imperial guard shortly before Constantine's death.[34][35]

A purge of senior officials and the leadership of the European military units followed. Nikephoros Bryennios, whom the western tagmata apparently wanted to proclaim emperor instead, was also dismissed and exiled on Theodora’s orders,[36][37] after which she confiscated his estates and banished his supporters from court.[33]

Her second period of rule proceeded where the first left off.[38] By her firm administration she controlled the unruly nobles and checked numerous abuses; but she damaged her reputation by excessive severity toward private enemies and the undue employment of menials for advisers, including her influential minister Leo Paraspondylos.[39] Military and court offices were filled by her household eunuchs, and even able commanders such as Issac Komnenos were replaced by minor functionaries.[39] Determined to centralise as much power in her hands as possible, she presided in person in the Senate, and heard appeals as supreme judge in civil cases. Her appointment of clerics offended the Patriarch Michael Keroularios, who considered this the duty of men, not women.[1]

Inevitably, Leo Paraspondylos's faction was interested in maintaining its control of government through the aging empress, while the patriarch Michael Keroularios advocated that Theodora advance a subject to the throne through marriage to her, something which would have assured the succession. This was not accomplished.

Theodora became gravely ill with an intestinal disorder in late August 1056, and died a few days later, on 31 August, 1056, at the age of 76.[40] Having no children and being the last member of her dynasty, she had chosen one of her favorites, the former military finance minister, Michael VI Bringas, as her successor on the recommendation of her chief minister, Leo Paraspondylos.[41] Hoping to recover her health, Theodora made her chosen successor swear that he would always obey her orders while she was alive. In the end he would not have to obey her long, as Theodora survived his nomination for a few hours only.[42]

As Michael VI was not related to the Macedonian dynasty that had ruled the Byzantine Empire for 189 years, he did not receive universal support. This lack of support resulted in a series of conflicts for the throne among various noble families that lasted from 1056 until 1081 until the arrival of the Komnenian dynasty.

[edit] Sources

[edit] Primary Sources

[edit] Secondary Sources

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Kazhdan, pg. 2038
  2. ^ Kazhdan, pg. 503
  3. ^ Norwich, pg. 253
  4. ^ Norwich, pg. 259
  5. ^ Norwich, pg. 269
  6. ^ Canduci, pg. 265
  7. ^ Finlay, pg. 465
  8. ^ Norwich, pg. 270
  9. ^ Canduci, pg. 257
  10. ^ Norwich, pg. 276
  11. ^ Canduci, pg. 269
  12. ^ Finlay, pg. 469
  13. ^ Kazhdan, pg. 627
  14. ^ Finlay, pg. 471
  15. ^ Finlay, pg. 495
  16. ^ Norwich, pg. 295
  17. ^ Norwich, pg. 297
  18. ^ a b Finlay, pg. 496
  19. ^ a b Norwich, pg. 298
  20. ^ Norwich, pg 299
  21. ^ Norwich, pg. 300
  22. ^ Finlay, pg. 497
  23. ^ Norwich, pg. 301
  24. ^ Norwich, pg. 304
  25. ^ Finlay, pg. 498
  26. ^ Norwich, pg. 305
  27. ^ a b Norwich, pg. 306
  28. ^ Finlay, pg. 499
  29. ^ Norwich, pg. 307
  30. ^ Finlay, pg. 505
  31. ^ Norwich, pg. 309
  32. ^ Finlay, pg. 503
  33. ^ a b Finlay, pg. 527
  34. ^ Garland (1999), pp. 165–166
  35. ^ Treadgold (1997), pp. 596
  36. ^ Kazhdan, pg. 329
  37. ^ Treadgold, pg. 597
  38. ^ Canduci, pg. 270
  39. ^ a b Finlay, pg. 528
  40. ^ Finlay, pg. 529
  41. ^ Kazhdan, pg. 1366
  42. ^ Norwich, pg. 327

[edit] External links

Theodora (11th century)
Born: 984 Died: after August 31, 1056
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Constantine IX		 Byzantine Empress
1055–1056		 Succeeded by
Michael VI
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