Person

Theodora (wife of Justinian I)

c. 497–548 · 6th century

Theodora was a Byzantine empress, wife of Emperor Justinian I and one of the most influential women in Byzantine history. A former actress, she married Justinian around 525 and became empress in 527; during the Nika riots of 532 she is said to have persuaded him not to flee. She protected the Miaphysites, sponsoring missions such as the one that converted the Nubian kingdom of Nobadia around 543.

Theodora (wife of Justinian I)
Image: Petar Milošević · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Nobadia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Theodora (wife of Justinian I). In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodora-wife-of-justinian-i
MLA
“Theodora (wife of Justinian I).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodora-wife-of-justinian-i. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Theodora (wife of Justinian I).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodora-wife-of-justinian-i.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Theodora (wife of Justinian I)’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodora-wife-of-justinian-i (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻