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It is believed The second source was written by some scholars Bishop Eusebius, a contemporary of Theodora. Eusebius states that sometime before meeting Justinian she became an adherent of was the [[Monophysitism|Monophysite]] Christianity, which claims Christ was daughter of one nature, remaining their partisan throughout her lifea Roman senator who died during Theodora's early childhood. Others instead argue that After her association with [[Monophysitism]] is largely because of Justinianfather's putting death, Theodora and her mother lived in charge Egypt, where her mother died soon after. According to Eusebius, Theodora spent the remaining part of courting the Monophysites' reunion with the [[Fourth Ecumenical Council|Chalcedonian]] party her young life in the Churchan Egyptian monastary, and so while remaining Chalcedonian herself, she was pastorally favorable toward the non-Chalcedonianswhich accounted for her sympathetic views of Monophysitism.
In 523 Theodora married It is believed by some scholars that sometime before meeting Justinian, the ''magister militum praesentalis'' in Constantinople. On his accession to she became an adherent of the Roman Imperial throne in 527 as Justinian I[[Monophysitism|Monophysite]] Christianity, he made her joint ruler which claims Christ was of the empireone nature, and appears to have regarded remained their partisan throughout her as a full partner in their rulership. This proved to be a wise decisionlife. A strong-willed woman, she showed a notable talent for governance. In the Nika riots Others instead argue that her association with [[Monophysitism]] is largely because of 532, Justinian's putting her advice and leadership for a strong (and militant) response caused in charge of courting the Monophysites' reunion with the [[Fourth Ecumenical Council|Chalcedonian]] party in the riot to be quelled Church, and probably saved so while remaining Chalcedonian herself, she was pastorally favorable toward the empirenon-Chalcedonians.
Some scholars believe that In 523 Theodora was Byzantiummarried Justinian, the ''magister militum praesentalis''s first noted proponent—in Constantinople. On his ascension to the Roman Imperial throne in 527 as Justinian I, he made her joint ruler of the empire, and, according appears to have regarded her as a full partner in their rulership. This proved to Procopiusbe a wise decision. A strong-willed woman, practitioner—of abortion; she convinced Justinian to change the law that forbade permit noblemen from marrying lower class women (like herself)showed a notable talent for governance. Theodora also advocated In the rights Nika riots of married women to commit adultery532, her advice and leadership for a strong (and militant) response caused the rights of women riot to be socially serviced, helping to advance protections and "delights" for them; and was also something of a voice for prostitutes quelled and probably saved the downtroddenempire. She also helped to mitigate the breach in Christianity that loomed large over her time; she probably had a large part in Justinian's efforts to reconcile the Monophysites to orthodoxy.
→Life
==Life==
There are two histories concerning the early life of Theodora. The best known account is the ''Secret History'' allegedly written by Procopius. It's authorship is questioned by most scholars because it was discovered in the Vatican three centuries after the empress's death and the style of the writing bears no resemblance to Procopius's other works. According to this account, Theodora was born into the lowest class of Byzantine society, the daughter of a bearkeeper for the circus. Much of the information from this earliest part of her life comes from the ''Secret History'' of Procopius, published posthumously. Critics of Procopius—whose work reveals a man seriously disillusioned regarding his rulers and out to defame them—have dismissed his this work dismiss it as vitriolic pornograpic and pornograpicwestern propaganda.
According to Procopius, Theodora was Byzantium's first noted proponent and practitioner of abortion; she also advocated the rights of married women to commit adultery, and the rights of women to be socially serviced, helping to advance protections and "delights" for them; and was also something of a voice for prostitutes and the downtrodden. Other scholars (and those who venerate Theodora as a [[saint]]) instead regard Theodora's achievements for women not as a modern feminist "liberation" to commit who encouraged abortion or adultery but rather as a truly egalitarian drive ruler who strove to give women the same legal rights as men. Theodora freed prostitutes from their pimps, such as establishing established homes for prostitutesthem, passing and passed laws prohibiting forced prostitution, . She also advocated granting women more rights in divorce cases, allowing women to own and inherit property, and enacting the death penalty for rape, all of which and allowing noblemen to marry women from lower classes. These changes raised women's status far above that current in the Western portion of the Empire.
Theodora died of cancer (probably breast cancer) before the age of 50, some 20 years before Justinian died. Her body was buried in the [[Church of the Holy Apostles (Constantinople)|Church of the Holy Apostles]], one of the splendid churches the emperor and empress had built in Constantinople. Both Theodora and Justinian are represented in beautiful mosaics that exist to this day in the [[Church of San Vitale (Ravenna)|Church of San Vitale]] at Ravenna in northern Italy, which was completed a year before her death.
==External links==
