Theodora Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theodora - Essay Example She was a monophysite Christian while her husband was an orthodox Christian. The fact that law had to be changed proves that Theodora came from a lowly background but despite her background her influence on others was immense. Despite her background she could exert tremendous influence on her husband, on Byzantine politics and law. She first influenced Justinian with her wit, beauty and insight. There were difficulties in marrying her because of her background so he made her his mistress. She could influence the then emperor Justin in to changing the laws so that she could marry Justinian. Thus she earned the respect of her husband. She had tremendous influence on various people, issues and particularly workings of the state. She exerted significant influence on matters of law pertaining to women. She was treated as an intellectual partner and her suggestions had strong influence on the political decisions of the empire. For instance, when two factions came into existence and threatened to end Justinian’s rule, she influenced the generals and the officials to stay in the city and take strong action to suppress the rebellion. She was consulted when they wanted to introduce reforms to end corruption by public officials. She is even credited with supporting her husband in providing advice during the Nika revolt. She exerted influence by participating in making the laws and handling diplomatic functions usually reserved for the emperor. Several achievements and accomplishments show how powerful a woman Theodora was of her time. The Nika Revolt was the first incident that brought her to limelight. This full scale revolt almost toppled the regime. When there was debate whether to run away in ships or to remain where they were, Theodora rose to speak. Her speech was such that it could be compared to a speech made by the senator to the insurgents. She acknowledged