Back to Episodes
Medieval women in power: Empress Theodora
Case 2.13

Medieval women in power: Empress Theodora

21:33
Medieval women in power: Empress Theodora
Byzantine Talks
0:00 21:33

Empress Theodora rose from humble beginnings as an actress and dancer to become one of the most powerful and influential rulers in the Byzantine Empire. Co-ruling with her husband, Emperor Justinian I, she is celebrated as an early champion of women’s rights, successfully enacting laws that protected women from human trafficking, legalized divorce, and criminalized rape.