Empress Theodora of Byzantium – Part 2
In previous posts we reviewed the history of Byzantium from the middle of the eighth century until 842 AD. We saw that two empresses were very influential in guiding the government – Irene and Euphrosyne during most of that time. Now a third very powerful empress enters the picture – Theodora. In our last post we looked at Theodora’s background and the early years of her marriage to Theophilos. We continue now with the rest of the events in her life during her rulership.
When Theophilos died in 842 AD, he left Theodora with five children ranging in age from the eleven- year-old Thekla down to Michael age two. Theodora’s main goal was to protect the throne from usurpers. This was not an unfounded fear since between 802 AD and 820 AD there were no fewer than four changes in the rulership, mostly military coups, but all by non-royal persons. As we have noted, ambitious men had shown no compunction about taking the throne by force using assassination. Theodora would remember that even her children’s great grandmother, Empress Irene was forced off of the throne and into exile.[1] Theodora knew that if male rulers could be overthrown by vicious means, ruthless men would think nothing of taking advantage of a woman.
Theodora reacted quickly and began her stratagem by having a coronation ceremony proclaiming the accession of Michael III. She had gold coins struck to commemorate 
the event. It was typical to have coins struck to let everyone know, especially in the surrounding territories that a change in rulership had occurred. In this coin set, Thekla as big sister, is shown with Michael who holds the cross. Theodora is on the reverse. With these official coins, Theodora clearly demonstrated that she was the Regent and now the kingdom would now be ruled by her. Her family was in control.
Theodora was now free to restore the veneration of icons. She needed a good reason to reverse the decades-old laws for iconoclasm. She received the help of the church in declaring that iconoclasm was a sin. Revering icons was now to be seen as holy and right. Those who held to iconoclasm were now seen as sinners. However, she had a problem. What to do about Theophilos? She did not want her husband’s image ruined. So, she came up with a plan. She put about the story that Theophilos had actually been converted shortly before his death and repented on his deathbed. She convinced the people of her husband’s change of heart and the way was clear for the restoration of icons as part of true and holy worship.
A new liturgy was performed for the first time in March 843. The timing was significant as the first Sunday in Lent in the Orthodox church. Theodora knew the power of having important events occur on major holy days. Those who had held the iconoclast position were to use this occasion to repent. Those who refused to accept the new iconophile position were condemned and cast out of the church. New prelates took their places and the work of changing over the worship service began. Eventually by 867 AD most of the churches had installed images for veneration.
Theodora ruled from 842 – 856 while Michael was too young to assume the throne. She proved to be adept at managing the government. Most of the civilian organizations remained in place. Theodora appointed ministers who supported her of course. In her foreign policy she maintained peace as much as possible. Theodora was also interested in missionary activity. She desired to take the gospel to the Slavic peoples and sent missionaries there. Historians have recorded that in the main her rulership was prudent, beneficial, and successful.
All the while, Theodora did not neglect her work as the mother of four girls and one boy. Michael received special tutors of course who gave him the instructions he would need as the future ruler. We do not know specifically what education the girls would have received, but we can assume that they would have been given whatever education was appropriate for crowned princesses.
As Empress Regents before her had done, Theodora arranged the marriage for her son. In spite of her disapproval, Michael had already taken a mistress, named Eudokia Ingerine. Theodora ignored her son’s wishes and chose a different Eudokia, whose father was from Decapolis. Eudokia Dekapolitissa was married to Michael and crowned in 855.
Michael had his friend, Basil, marry his mistress Eudokia Ingerine so she would be “acceptable” to everyone though they all knew that she was Michael’s concubine. When the mistress Eudokia Ingerine conceived and bore Michael a child, Constantine, around 859, Basil claimed the son as his own. No one was fooled however about the paternity of this child or the child born in 866 to Eudokia Ingerine. Michael was so busy with his mistress that he failed to produce any legitimate children with the rightful empress, Eudokia Dekapolitissa. In the end Michael would legally die childless. Since Theodora worked so hard to preserve the throne for her family, we have to wonder if it wouldn’t have been better to have allowed her son marry his mistress. But how could Theodora have foreseen that Michael would prove to be so stubborn?
Michael attempted to have himself proclaimed ruler around 856 though he hadn’t reached his majority. He was easily led by his uncle Bardas who convinced him to murder Theodora’s chief advisor which weakened her power. She remained the Empress mother ruling for two more years in spite of it. Eventually after a stand-off, Michael took control and expelled Theodora from the palace in late 858. He sent his sisters the princesses to various monasteries to remove the threat that Theodora would circumvent his leadership by having one of them married and placed on the throne. Michael’s uncle, Bardas then became the real power behind the throne.
Theodora was in exile in Gastria until around 863, when she was released and allowed to live in comfort in the palace of a friend. She maintained relative peace there in prayer and meditation. She must have watched the developments at the palace in Constantinople with some trepidation, knowing that Michael was too easily led by ambitious men. Did she long to be back there advising him and working toward maintaining the throne for her family?
Things went along well for Michael and Bardas until conspirators, with Michael’s consent, brutally murdered Bardas in 866. Michael’s friend Basil now thought that he could seize the throne. He talked Michael into crowning him as co-emperor. Theodora must have seen that this was the beginning of the end for her family’s dynasty. At this stage she could do nothing about it. It was too late. Could she have had more influence with her son if she would have allowed him to have the wife of his choice? Theodora inadvertently lost the throne for her family by not compromising with Michael.
Not surprisingly, Basil took steps to secure the throne for himself. He invited Michael and Eudokia Ingerine to a dinner party in September 867. One historical account relates that Basil got Michael drunk then used the same assassins he used to murder Bardas to murder Michael in his bedchamber. Basil then had himself proclaimed sole emperor. He reigned as Basil I from 867 until 886. By all accounts he was actually a very able administrator. Theodora buried her son while Basil began his reign.
There are varying accounts of Theodora’s last years. Most probably she lived quietly in a monastery hoping that Basil would not kill her or her daughters. It is uncertain how much longer she lived. Perhaps her daughters were with her when she died. She asked them to bury her near her mother, Theoktiste at Gastria monastery. A tenth century record from the Gastria monastery indicates that Theodora and three of the daughters, Thekla, Anastasia, and Pulcheria were buried there. Anna chose to be buried near step-grandmother Euphrosyne in her monastery.
Theodora accomplished much during her reign. She had a reputation as a fearless leader when dealing with the enemies of Constantinople. She stood up to the Arabs who thought they could take advantage of a woman, negotiating a long-lasting peace. She managed the financial resources of her nation well. For fourteen years she protected the throne for her son.
But Theodora is mostly remembered as the Byzantine ruler who overturned the religious practices of many generations. She made sure that iconoclasm would be ended once and for all. The Orthodox church commemorates Saint Theodora annually on February 11 by reading an account of her life and the Orthodox venerate icons of her. Every year on the first Sunday of Lent she is also honored for bringing the Triumph of Orthodoxy -the return of the veneration of icons – to the church.
Theodora’s restoration of icons led to the development of icon painting which has been prized and esteemed in culture for centuries. Today millions appreciate the beautiful art in churches, shrines, and museums. Whether the icons are objects to be used for instruction or reverence they are part of the lasting Orthodox culture.
The three empresses Irene, Euphrosyne, and Theodora each contributed to the return of a central tenet of the Orthodox faith – the power of the use of images in worship. Irene began the restoration of icons by setting the precedent for changing the law. Euphrosyne began an iconophile revival in 787. Theodora used her power to bring all of the past and present resources to bear on getting images back into the worship service which still exists today. These three women ruled one of the largest and longest-lasting dynasties in the world for nearly a century (780 to 867 AD). Their accomplishments truly changed history for all time.
[1] See posts on Empress Irene, February 18 and 25 on this blog site.
