Born around the year 500, Theodora was the middle of three daughters of a bear keeper named Acacius in Constantinople. But because Acacius died before he could pass his livelihood onto a son, Theodora’s mother pushed all three of her daughters to the stage.

There isn’t much written about Theodora, save for one man, Procopius. According to Women’s History:

“The major source for information on Theodora is Procopius, who wrote about her in three works: his History of the Wars of Justinian, De Aedificiis, and Anekdota or Secret History.”

They were written after Theodora’s death.

Theater was still considered immoral in the sixth and seventh centuries, but Theodora became famous in her early days for her risque portrayal of Leda and the Swan. According to the website Roman Emperors:

“She stripped off her clothes as far as the law allowed, for complete nudity was banned, and lay on her back while some attendants scattered barley on her groin. Then geese, evidently playing Zeus in several guises, picked up the barley with their bills.” 

She became a prostitute and kept many lovers during this time, entertained important people at banquets, and Procopius contends that her sexual conquests were hers and hers alone.

Historians today have the opinion that most of the tales Procopius related to her early life in his books were situations that happened to other people in Constantinople, and that he wanted to relate it to history by giving credit of these exploits to Theodora.

While searching for a way to escape the theatre, she became the mistress of Hecebolus, the governor of Pentapolis, whom she soon left because she was treated badly.

There are claims that she bore him a son, but the only documented children Theodora was to have was a daughter.

She found her way to Alexandria soon after, and met with the patriarch, Timothy III. It was because of this meeting that she became a devout follower of Monophysite, which claims Christ was of one nature. During the course of her life, Theodora remained a Monophysite Christian.

She was still working as an actress when she met Justinian I, nephew and heir of the Byzantine emperor Justin. According to Roman Emperors, they:

“Fell in love, and what is more remarkable, accepted each other as intellectual equals. They were always more than sexual partners. A tradition of the eleventh century relates that on Theodora’s return to the capital, she lived in humble lodgings and spun wool, which was a virtuous occupation.

She did not forget her erstwhile associates but there was no question of her returning to her former life. If Justinian wanted her, he had to marry her.”

“New legislation would be necessary, for the laws forbade a patrician to marry an actress.”

Justinian encountered an unexpected obstacle in the empress Euphemia.

The Emperor Justin I had bought his wife as a slave many years before he became emperor, and her slave-name Lupicina rouses suspicion for it was commonly found among prostitutes.

Once she became empress, she took the more respectable name of Euphemia, and jealously guarded the respectability of her office.

She liked Justinian, and ordinarily refused him nothing, but she would not hear of him marrying an actress.

Upon her death circa 523, Justin promulgated the necessary legislation for Justinian and Theodora to marry, and it appears in the Justinianic Code.

It freed truly penitent actresses from all blemishes and returned them to their pristine condition.

Soon after, the patriarch Epiphanius joined Justinian and Theodora in wedlock in the Church of the Holy Wisdom.

Theodora was known to work against her Orthodox Christian husband if it meant protecting her fellow Monophysites from charges of heresy.

When the moderate Monophysite Severus was excommunicated and exiled from the empire, Theodora went behind Justinian’s back and helped him to settle in Egypt.

Theodora’s marriage to Justinian proved to be a good one for the late Byzantine Empire.

Justinian was known to consult with Theodora about significant issues within the empire.

For example, he discussed legislation that would end corruption of public officials with her.

Also, according to Women’s History: “in 532, when two factions (known as the Blues and the Greens) threatened to end Justinian’s rule. She is credited with getting Justinian, and his generals and officials to stay in the city and take strong action to suppress the rebellion.”

This was known as the Nika Revolt.

According to Roman Emperors:

“Procopius describes the panicky debate in the palace whether to flee in their ships or to stay where they were.

Then Theodora rose to speak.

Theodora begins with the acknowledgement that urging acts of daring was not considered womanly but nonetheless she took a tough line and urged defiance.

Her husband might flee if he wished, but she would stay, for she liked the ancient maxim which said that royalty made a good shroud.”

A contemporary official, Joannes Laurentius Lydus, remarked that she was:

“Superior in intelligence to any man.”

Through her influence on Justinian, she was one of the first fighters for women’s rights in ancient history.

According to Women’s History, she:

“Expanded the rights of women in divorce and property ownership, forbid exposure of unwanted infants, gave mothers some guardianship rights over their children, and forbid the killing of a wife who committed adultery.

She closed brothels and created convents where the ex-prostitutes could support themselves.”

However, according to Wikipedia:

“There were less charitable acts as well. Rumors spoke of private dungeons in her quarters into which people she disapproved of disappeared forever, though such rumors can be found regarding nearly any royal figure.

More congenial is the story of how she sheltered a deposed patriarch for twelve years without anyone knowing of it.”

This was the story of Anthimus, who was still hiding in the women’s quarters when Theodora died.

Though they married for love, the only thing that would not come to fruition for the couple were children. She and Justinian would have no children together.

However, she married her niece to Justinian’s heir, Justin II. Theodora died in 548 of an unspecified cancer.