How did Theodora influence Justinian rule of the Empire?

Answer 1

Theodora's courage saved Justinian's reign during the Nika riots in Constantinople in which many public buildings and some churches were set on fire, and a new emperor was proclaimed. Justinian and his officials prepared to flee. Theodora spoke out against this saying that it was better to die an emperor fighting to retain the throne than to run away and live as an exile. She convinced Justinian and the officials, Justinian ordered his loyal troops to attack the demonstrators in the hippodrome. According to Procopius over 30,000 rebels were killed.

Theodora participated in Justinian's legal and spiritual reforms and was one of his most trusted advisers expect for religious matters. She became a champion of women's rights by banning forced prostitution, closing brothels, creating a convent which was a refuge for ex-prostitutes, instituting the death penalty for rape, improving the property rights of women and their rights in divorce, giving women the right of guardianship over their children and forbidding the killing of adulterous wives.

Theodora disagreed with her husband on religious matter. Whilst he supported mainstream Christianity, she supported the Miaphysite dissident doctrine. She founded a monastery which was a shelter for the leaders of this sect who were excommunicated or exiled. She outmanoeuvred her husband and had a Miaphysite enthroned as the Patriarch of Alexandria and Coptic Pope (Justinian had him exiled later. Theodora was accused of supporting heresy and thus undermined the unity of Christianity.

Answer 2

Theodora was a Roman empress from 6th century AD. She was married to Byzantine Roman emperor Justinian I. In 532 AD when Nika riots broke out in Constantinople, Justinian and his aides decided to run away. Theodora did not agree and delivered a rousing speech that convinced Justinian to stay back and fight. His army finally crushed the riots and saved the day for him.

Answer 3

Theodora was a close adviser of her husband, Justinian I. The two of them collaborated on many things. Theodora had saved Justinian's rule by arguing for refusing to flee during a riot in Constantinople, which was then bloodily suppressed.

Theodora, championed the cause of women, and through her initiative Justinian enacted laws which forbade forced prostitution, closed brothers and provided protections for prostitutes against exploitation, instituted the death penalty for rape, forbade the killing of a wife who committed adultery, forbade exposure of unwanted babies, gave mothers some guardianship rights over their children, improved women property right and their rights in divorce, established that the dowry of a widow should be returned to her, sanctioned that husbands could not incur major debts without receiving their wives' consent twice, and that women charged with major crimes were be under the guardianship of other women. The purpose of the latter was prevention of sexual abuse.

Theodora and Justinian differed on matters of religion. Justinian supported mainstream (Orthodox) Christianity, while she supported a dissident doctrine. This created conflict on these matters and Justinian often obstructed Theodora. However, her influence was so strong that when she died, Justinian worked on reconciling the two doctrines and kept his promise to protect a monastery Theodora built as a refuge for the dissident Christians.

Answer 4

Theodora was Justinian's closest and most trusted advisor. They effectively ruled together in all matters except for measures to protect and improve the condition of women (which Theodora undertook on her own, with Justinian's support) and religious matters, where the consorts differed.

Theodora's courage saved Justinian's reign during the Nika riots in Constantinople in which many public buildings and some churches were set on fire, and a new emperor was proclaimed. Justinian and his officials prepared to flee. Theodora spoke out against this saying that it was better to die an emperor fighting to retain the throne than to run away and live as an exile. She convinced Justinian and the officials. Justinian ordered his loyal troops to attack the demonstrators in the hippodrome. According to Procopius over 30,000 rebels were killed.

Theodora participated in Justinian's legal reforms. She became a champion of women's rights by banning forced prostitution, closing brothels, creating a convent which was a refuge for ex-prostitutes, instituting the death penalty for rape, improving the property rights of women and their rights in divorce, giving women the right of guardianship over their children and forbidding the killing of adulterous wives.

Theodora disagreed with her husband on religious matters. Whilst he supported mainstream Christianity, she supported the Miaphysite dissident doctrine. She founded a monastery which was a shelter for the leaders of this sect who had been excommunicated or exiled by her husband. She outmanoeuvred him and had a Miaphysite enthroned as the Patriarch of Alexandria and Coptic Pope (Justinian had him exiled later). Theodora was accused of supporting heresy and thus undermined the unity of Christianity.

Theodora died Justinian was distraught. However, her influence was so strong that when she died, Justinian worked on reconciling the two doctrines and kept his promise to protect the monastery Theodora built as a refuge for the dissident Christians.

Answer 5

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