{"product_id":"theodora-actress-empress-saint-women-in-antiquity","title":"Theodora: Actress  Empress  Saint (Women in Antiquity)","description":"\u003cp\u003eTwo of the most famous mosaics from the ancient world  in the church of San Vitale in Ravenna  depict the sixth-century emperor Justinian and  on the wall facing him  his wife  Theodora (497-548). This majestic portrait gives no inkling of Theodoras very humble beginnings or her improbable rise to fame and power. Raised in a family of circus performers near Constantinoples Hippodrome  she abandoned a successful acting career in her late teens to follow a lover whom she was legally forbidden to marry. When he left her  she was a single mother who built a new life for herself as a secret agent  in which role she met the heir to the throne. To the shock of the ruling elite  the two were married  and when Justinian assumed power in 527  they ruled the Eastern Roman Empire together.  Their reign was the most celebrated in Byzantine history  bringing wealth  prestige  and even Rome itself back to the Empire. Theodora was one of the dominant political figures of her era  helping shape imperial foreign and domestic policy and twice saving her husband from threatened deposition. She played a central role trying to solve the religious disputes of her era and proactively assisted women who were being trafficked. An extraordinarily able politician  she excited admiration and hatred from those around her. Enemies wrote extensively and imaginatively about her presumed early career as a prostitute  while supporters elevated her  quite literally  to sainthood.  Theodoras is a tale of a woman of exceptional talent who overcame immense obstacles to achieve incredible power  which she exercised without ever forgetting where she had come from. In Theodora: Actress  Empress  Saint  David Potter penetrates the highly biased accounts of her found in the writings of her contemporaries and takes advantage of the latest research on early Byzantium to craft a modern  well-rounded  and engaging narrative of Theodoras life. This fascinating portrait will intrigue all readers with an interest in ancient and womens history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44984899207221,"sku":"ByrdShop_0199740763","price":32.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780199740765.jpg?v=1770842627","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/theodora-actress-empress-saint-women-in-antiquity","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}