Who was the empress Theodora and how does she help Justinian during the Nika rebellion?

Theodora, a 6th-century Byzantine empress married to Emperor Justinian I, is remembered for being one of the most powerful women in Byzantine history. She used her power and influence to promote religious and social policies that were important to her. She was one of the first rulers to recognize the rights of women.

What did Theodora and Justinian build?

Justinian focused on reconquering the western Roman Empire and expanding the borders, Theodora focused on building up the wealth and prosperity of Constantinople, and together they rebuilt many formerly great symbols of their city, including the mighty church called the Hagia Sophia.

How did Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora strengthen the Byzantine Empire?

How Did Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora Strengthen the Byzantine Empire. TestNew stuff! She urged her husband to change the Byzantine law which allowed married women to own land. If a woman became a widow, her land would provide the income she needed to take care of her children.

What did Justinian and Theodora accomplish during his reign?

Theodora and Justinian were known for ruling as intellectual and political equals, and Theodora was responsible for much of the reformation of Byzantium. In 528, construction began on the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, built as an imperial church on the outskirts of the Byzantine Empire.

What is court of Empress Theodora?

Empress Theodora And Retinue. This Mosaic is found in the Basilica of San Vitale. It is found on the left wall of the apse and it represents Empress Theodora and her offerings to Christ. Theodora is represented as part of an Imperial court group. She is accompanied by her sisters, ladies of the court, and two men.

What did Theodora build?

Following the Nika revolt, Justinian and Theodora rebuilt Constantinople, including aqueducts, bridges and more than twenty-five churches, the most famous of which is Hagia Sophia. Theodora was said to have been punctilious about court ceremony.

How did Justinian and Theodora help secure the legacy of the Byzantine Empire?

Theodora, wife of Justinian, was empress during her husband’s reign from AD 527 to AD 565 in the Byzantine Empire. Belisarius was a general of the Byzantine army who lived from AD 500 to AD 565, and he was appointed by the emperor Justinian to lead and strengthen the empire’s army.

What did Emperor Justinian accomplish?

Emperor Justinian I was a master legislator. He reorganized the administration of the imperial government and outlawed the suffragia, or sale of provincial governorships. He also sponsored the Codex Justinianus (Code of Justinian) and directed the construction of several new cathedrals, including the Hagia Sophia.

How did Theodora become empress?

Justinian was said to have been taken by Theodora’s intelligence and beauty, and made her his mistress before marrying her in 525. When Emperor Justin I died in 527, Theodora was crowned empress of Rome, in the same coronation ceremony as her husband.

What is the relationship between Justinian and Theodora?

Justinian was born a peasant, but raised by an uncle in the imperial guard who became emperor. Theodora was an actress and prostitute who was in the working class when she met the future emperor. Together they became intellectual and political partners.

How did people of the 6th century see Justinian?

In purple robes, bearing symbols of the church and encircled by a divine halo, Theodora appears as Justinian’s equal in power, influence, and divinity. This is how people of the 6th century saw Justinian and Theodora.

What did Theodora do to help the persecuted?

Theodora’s main focus, however, was always the defense of the persecuted. Never forgetting her upbringing, she closed brothels and created safe houses for prostitutes. She passed laws that prohibited forced prostitution, outlawed the execution of women for adultery, and guaranteed rights for divorced women.

Who was the Empress Theodora?

The Eastern Roman Empress Theodora (500AD – 548AD) has fascinated historians for over a thousand years. The main historical sources for her life are the works of her contemporary Procopius. The historian offered three contradictory portrayals of the Empress.