Theodora: Empress of Byzantium (Mark Magowan Books) (59 page)

16
Marble head of an empress (“Theodora”). Museum of Ancient Art in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan. Photo Scala.

22
Gold marriage ring, 6th century. Courtesy Dumbarton Oaks, Byzantine Collection, Washington, D.C.

23
Gold marriage belt, late 6th to 7th century. Courtesy Dumbarton Oaks, Byzantine Collection, Washington, D.C.

25
Dome of the church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Istanbul. Photo Werner Forman Archive.

33
Exterior of the basilica of the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia), Istanbul. From Cyril Mango,
Byzantine Architecture
(London: Faber & Faber, 1986).

36
Interior of the basilica of the Holy Wisdom. Photo Werner Forman Archive.

38
Longitudinal section of the basilica of the Holy Wisdom, Istanbul.
Byzantine Architecture
.

40
,
41
Stylized renderings of the monograms of Justinian and Theodora. From H. Swainson, “Monograms on the Capitals of St. Sergius in Constantinople,”
Byzantinische Zeitschrift
IV (1895).

The Publisher has made all reasonable efforts to identify the owners of photographic rights and is at their disposal to fulfill all rightful obligations.

The idea for this work arose casually in 1995, after the systematic research and readings I did for the Italian edition of Procopius,
Storie segrete
(Milan: Rizzoli, 1996), published with Fabrizio Conca. I wrote the first draft of parts of this work in 1996, and made little progress in 1997. In 1999, after a two-year hiatus, I began to work regularly at the text; it took me a little over a year to finalize it.

I am indebted to many for encouragement, advice, and corrections. I apologize if I have left anyone out. I cannot thank enough those who saved me from mistakes (I am solely responsible for any still left) and opened new horizons to me.

First I wish to thank the troika that patiently tackled the various versions of this work: Laura Grandi, who was always ready to advise me on the publishing world’s expectations; Elisabetta Matelli, always ready to warn me about convoluted or rough writing; and Gino Cesaretti, my formidable personal narrative trainer (together with my mother, Iris).

The following also offered recommendations and corrections in addition to exquisite attention and friendship as they were faced with not-quite-final versions: Antonio Aimi, Valentino Baldacci, Amilcare Bardi, Pino Bardi, Mariella De Battisti, Piera Detassis, Maria Falla Castelfranchi, Paola Lovato, Andrea Martano, Carlo Maria Mazzucchi, Giustina Ostuni, Lorella Pagnucco Salvemini, Bruno Pedretti, Luigi Pellegrini, Giorgio Ravegnani, Eileen Romano, and Giorgio Taborelli. A special thanks to Amilcare and Giorgio.

Guido and Clelia Matelli allowed me to invade their lovely Milan
home with all my papers and books while my own house was unavailable. Therefore, a large part of this work was written away from my usual residence, but never really away from home: thank you.

I am especially grateful to the library of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan and to the courtesy and skill of its library personnel, who greatly facilitated my work of research and verification.

At Mondadori, Marco Vigevani, Carlo Alberto Brioschi, Nicoletta Lazzari, Margherita Leardi, and Renato Curti (in chronological order) were patient traveling companions in this adventure.

How much I owe my friend—my reader—my spouse—Clara, I cannot even begin to say. And how could I ever thank you? The volume that I offer you, here, is already yours.

“Roman” in quotations is used when referring to what was officially and institutionally connected to the empire of Constantinople as the second Rome.

Acacius

Acacius’s widow;

remarriage

Agapetus:
Exposition

Agapetus, pope

Agathias Scholasticus

Alexandria

Amalasuntha

Ambrose, Saint

Ammianus Marcellinus

Anastasia, Lady

Anastasia (Theodora’s sister)

Anastasius, emperor

death

family

Monophysite beliefs

Anastasius (Theodora’s grandson)

Anna Comnena(2)

Anthemius of Tralles

Anthimus

Anthony the Hermit

Antioch

Antonina;

humiliation of Belisarius

infidelity

Joannina and

Theodora and

Apamea

Aphthartodocetism

Apollonia

Areobindus

Arethas (al-Harith)

Ariadne

Arianism

Aristotle

Armenia

Arsenius

Artabanes

Aspasia

Asterius

astrology

Athalaric, Goth king

Athanasius

Athanasius, Saint

Athenais-Eudocia

Augustine, Saint
autopsia
concept

Axum

Baduila.
See
Totila Baronio, Cesare

Basianus

Basil, bishop of Caesarea

Basilius, Flavius Anicius

Beck, Hans-Georg

Belisarius: career

depictions

eastern campaign

in Italy

kingship refused by

marriage

Nika rebellion and

in North Africa

popularity

Procopius and

purported plot of

wealth

Berbers

Bernhardt, Sarah

Bithynia

Blue faction

radicals in

Botheric

Bouzes

“Bradukios incident,”

Caesar, Julius

Caesaria

Cagnacci, Guido Carthage

Cassiodorus

Chalcedon, Council of

Christianity: abortion in

anchorites

in Constantinople

marriage and family in

monasticism

prostitution in

public welfare in

relics in

in “Roman” empire

sodomy in

theater in

theological controversies.
See also
Arianism

Monophysites

Chrysomallo

daughter of

Codex Theodosianus

Comito

as actress

marriage

name

Conrad, Joseph

Constans I, emperor

Constantine, emperor

Constantinople

baths

church of SS. Sergius and Bacchus

class structure

coins

construction in

courtesans

entertainment

everyday life

history

Holy Apostles basilica

immigrants

palaces

plague

population

private homes

public works

religion

as “Roman” capital

women and girls in.
See also
Hippodrome

Holy Wisdom

Hormisdas

Kynêgion

Copts

Coricius of Gaza

Corippus
Corpus Juris Civilis

Cosmas

courtesans

Cyrene

Cyril of Alexandria, Saint

D’Annunzio, Gabriele

Dante Alighieri

Dialogue on Political Science

Diehl, Charles

Diocletian, emperor

Dyophysites

…

Edict of the Three Chapters

Edict of the Union

Egeria (Etheria)

Egypt.
See also
Alexandria

eons

Epictetus

Epiphanios

Eronda

Eudaemon

Euphemia

Euthyches

Evagrius Scholasticus

Gaianus

Garbo, Greta

Gelimer

Genseric

Germanus

Ghassanids

Gibbon, Edward

Gnosticism

Gontharis

Goths.
See also specific rulers

Graves, Robert
Greek Anthology

Green faction

Gregorovius, Ferdinand

Gregory the Great, pope

Hagia Sophia.
See
Holy Wisdom Hamilton, Emma

Hecebolus

Helladia

Herodes Atticus

Herodotus of Halicarnassus

Hippodrome

emperor's presence in

Nika insurrection and

Holy Wisdom basilica

Homer

Hormisdas palace

Nika rebellion and

hubris concept

Huns

Hypatia

Hypatius

Ibas, bishop of Edessa

Indaro

Isdigousnas Zich

Isidore of Miletus

Islam

Isocrates

ivory depictions

Jacob Baradeus

Jerusalem

Jews

Joannina

John, bishop of Tella

John, general

John Chrysostom, Saint

John I, pope

John of Amida(1) John of Tella

John (son of Pompeius)

John the Cappadocian

exile

fiscal policies

plot against

John “the Glutton,”

John the Hunchback

John the Lydian

John (Theodora’s rumored son)

John Zonaras

Julian, bishop of Halicarnassus

Julian (missionary)

Julian the Egyptian

Juliana Anicia, Lady

Justin, emperor

death

succession plans

Justin II, emperor

Justina

Justinian, emperor: appearance

birthplace

building projects

as consul

coronation

death

depictions

early life

economic policy

education

family background

foreign policy

funeral robe

illnesses

laws

legacy

loyalty oath

Macedonia and

monogram

Monophysites and

Nika rebellion and,

personality

places renamed for

power

Pragmatic Sanction

Procopius’s portrayal

restoration program

rumored plots against

sarcophagus

succession plans

Theodora and

wedding

Kafka, Franz

Khosrow I, king of Persia

Kynêgion
kyria

Laodikeia

Leo the Great, pope

Libania
Lex Canuleia

Licinia-Eudoxia

Lupicina-Euphemia

Lysias

Macedonia

Manicheans

Mār the Solitary

Marcus Aurelius, emperor

Mary the Egyptian, Saint

Matasuntha

Maximianus

Menas

Metanoia convent

Michael the Syrian (1) Milan, Italy

Mohammed II Fatih

Monophysites

actions against

Agnoete group

in Alexandria

beliefs

in eastern Roman empire

Theodora's support

Montanus

Moors

mosaics: in Constantinople

in Olbia

of San Vitale

of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo

Mundus

Narses

Nestorianism

Nika insurrection

Nubia

Olympiodorus

paganism
parrhêsia
(2)

Paul the Silentiary

Pavia, Italy

Pentapolis

Perón, Eva

Persian empire

Peter Barsymes

Peter (rhetorician)

Peter (strategist)

Philae

Philoxenos, bishop of Bambyx

Photius

Pietro Aretino

plague

Plato

Polibius

Pompeius

Porphyrius

Praejecta

Priscus

Probus

Procopius:
On the Buildings

History of the Wars

life

misogyny

theater viewed by.
See also Secret History

prostitution.

See also
courtesans Pseudo-Demosthenes

Ravenna

San Vitale

Sant’Apollinare Nuovo

Reparatus

Resafa-Sergiopolis

rhetoric

Rhodoclea

“Roman” empire: abortion in

administration

“barbarian” rule

“barbarian” threats

Christianity in

class structure

construction and cities

decline

eastern regions

expansion

gold reserves

laws restricting sex