Empress Theodora

This episode examines the trajectory of Empress Theodora, highlighting how she transcended her marginalized origins in Constantinople's entertainment industry to become a key political agent in the reign of Justinian I. The episode focuses on the complexity of historical sources, especially the contradictory accounts of Procopius of Caesarea, which oscillate between official praise and moralistic defamation. Theodora is presented not only as a consort but as a decisive mediator in crises such as the Nika Revolt and the intense religious disputes between the Chalcedonians and Miaphysites. The episode emphasizes that her authority was consolidated through networks of patronage, palace influence, and sophisticated visual propaganda that transformed her into a sacralized figure. Finally, the narrative invites the overcoming of gender biases to understand her real impact on the stability and administration of the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century.