Spoke 11: The Biblewheel and The 11th Century - Theodora Porphyrogenita Co-Ruler With Her Sister

Spoke 11: The Biblewheel and The 11th Century



Theodora Porphyrogenita Co-Ruler With Her Sister Zoe

Theodora Porphyrogenita was also purple born in the palace in the 10th century:

Theodora Porphyrogenita (11th century)

Theodora Porphyrogenita (Greek: Θεοδώρα, Theodōra; AD 980 – 31 August 1056) was a Byzantine Empress born into the Macedonian dynasty that ruled the Byzantine Empire for almost two hundred years. She was co-empress with her sister Zoëfor two months in 1042 and sole empress regnant from 11 January 1055 to 31 August 1056. She was the last ruler of the Macedonian line.

Theodora's life was entwined with that of her older sister Zoë. In 1028 her father, Constantine VIII, attempted to extend the dynasty by marrying Theodora to the urban prefect of Constantinople, Romanos Argyros. Theodora refused, and Zoë was married to him instead; three days later he became emperor. Angry that Theodora had been the first choice to marry Romanos, Zoë had her sister closely watched. After two foiled plots, Theodora was exiled to an island monastery in the Sea of Marmara. Twelve years later, the people of Constantinople rose against Michael V, Zoë's adopted son, and insisted that Theodora return to rule alongside her sister. After 65 days Zoë married again to Constantine IX, who assumed the imperial responsibilities.

When Constantine IX died, the seventy-four-year-old Theodora returned to the throne, in the teeth of fierce opposition from court officials and military claimants. For eighteen months she was a strong empress before being struck down by a sudden illness and dying on 31 August 1056 aged seventy-six.

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Return to power

Hagia Sophia mosaic of a seated Christ Pantocrator, with Zoë standing to his left and Constantine IX standing to his right

After Zoë's death in 1050, Theodora seems to have retired to a convent, leaving Constantine IX to rule alone until his own death on 11 January 1055. As Constantine lay dying, he was persuaded by his councilors, chiefly the logothetes tou dromou John, to ignore the rights of Theodora and to pass the throne to the doux (Duke) of the Byzantine Theme of Bulgaria, Nikephoros Proteuon.^[6]:527However, Theodora preempted their plans when, despite her advanced age, she vigorously asserted her right to rule. She came out of retirement and convened the Senate, and the imperial guard proclaimed her "emperor" shortly before Constantine's death.^[10][11]:596

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 dismissed and exiled on Theodora’s orders,^{[1]:329[11]:597} after which she confiscated his estates and banished his supporters from court.^[6]:527

Her second period of rule proceeded where the first left off.^[7]:270 With her firm administration, she controlled the unruly nobles and checked numerous abuses. She damaged her reputation, however, with excessive severity toward private enemies and undue employment of such menials as Leo Paraspondylos as her advisors.^[6]:528 Military and court offices were filled by her household eunuchs, and such able commanders as Isaac Komnenos were replaced with minor functionaries.^[6]:528Determined to centralize 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]:2038

Theodora was fit, well and active and disinclined to face her own mortality, despite her age of seventy-six. The patriarch Michael Keroularios advocated that Theodora advance a subject to the throne through marriage to her, something which would have assured the succession, but she refused to consider marriage, no matter how token. She also refused to name an heir to the throne. Theodora became gravely ill with an intestinal disorder in late August 1056. On 31 August her advisors, chaired by Leo Paraspondylos, met to decide who to recommend to her as a successor. According to Psellus, they selected Michael Bringas, an aged civil servant and former military finance minister whose main attraction was that "he was less qualified to rule than he was to be ruled and directed by others". Theodora was unable to speak, but Paraspondylos decided that she had nodded at an appropriate moment. Hearing of this the Patriarch refused to believe it. Eventually he was persuaded and Bringas was crowned as Michael VI. Theodora died a few hours later and with her death, the Macedonian dynasty's 189 year rule ended.^{[6]:529[2]:327}

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodora_Porphyrogenita_(11th_century)