Theodora: Empress of Byzantium [Hardcover]

Paolo Cesaretti (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2004 | Series: Mark Magowan Books

Theodora of Byzantium, rising from the lowest ranks of Byzantine society, became one of the most important and powerful women in history. In this gripping biography, Theodora's full story is revealed for the first time, according her a well-deserved place in the pantheon of great women.

Theodora's meager beginnings as the daughter of a bear-keeper could not have foretold her astonishing future as the wife of Justinian, the powerful ruler of the Byzantine empire. An actress at the time who was chastised for her scandalous performances, she eventually caught the attention of the young Justinian, who was no doubt charmed as much by her beauty as by her cunning.

Justinian and Theodora ruled the empire together from their rich and bustling seat of power in Constantinople, making decisions regarding the fate of their kingdom that would reverberate for centuries to come. Time and time again, Theodora's wisdom and counsel to the emperor saved Justinian's empire and assured their place in history.

Hailed by European reviewers as "Book of the Year" upon its publication in Italian, Paolo Cesaretti's book gives a balanced portrait of an intriguing figure who, in the face of those who tried to defame her, rose from the ranks of the poor to build an empire at the side of her ambitious husband.

Paolo Cesaretti, a professor of Byzantine studies, teaches at University of Chieti, Italy. In addition to many books on a variety of subjects related to Byzantine art and history, he regularly contributes to important Italian publications including Corriere della Sera.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paolo Cesaretti, an internationally recognized authority in Byzantine studies, teaches at the University of Chieti, Italy. In addition to his many books, he regularly contributes to important Italian publications, including Corriere della Sera and Il Giornale.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Vendome Press (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865652376
• ISBN-13: 978-0865652378
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #980,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Theodora and Justinian, October 25, 2004

By 

Frank J. Konopka (Shamokin, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Theodora: Empress of Byzantium (Hardcover)

I give this author a lot of credit for attempting this biography of Theodora, wife of Emperor Justinian of Byzantium. The credit is surely due because there are, unfortunatley, not a lot of information sources about Theodora, and the most complete source is Procopious's "Secret History", which can in no way be considered a glowing tale of her life. It's quite a salacious read, and perhaps gives one a somewhat distorted view of Theodora, and her upbringing. The auhtor of this work attempts a delicate balance between the "anti" sources, and the other reports of the reign of Justinian and his consort. The result is a book that has many nuances, but appears as fair as possible given the sources and the pasage of time since these events occured in world history. Often the author is driven to psychological speculation over why actions were taken or not taken, and he can't be faulted for his approach, given the situation. Anyone attempting to adequately reconstruct ancient events without proper historical help is going to have this problem, and I feel the author has done as well as can be expected. The book is a good view into the Justinian court, and the life of the Byzantine Empire of the time.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Balanced Look at Justinian and Theodora?, December 4, 2010

By 

Brent Hightower (Hilo Hawaii) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Theodora: Empress of Byzantium (Hardcover)

This novel was well researched and clearly written by an author steeped in the deep complexities of the Byzantine Age, but I had a real problem with his intention to "rehabilitate" the reputation of Empress Theodora regardless of almost any degree of moral-ambiguity and contradiction. It seemed as though the author could find no consistent world-view - no clear lense through which to interpret the life of this woman, one of histories transformative figures.

In the author's defence he isn't alone in this difficulty. It seems that the tremendous complexities of the Byzantine Age often come to afflict even those who attempt to chronicle them with spiritual confusion!

Although the dominant perspective of the novel is clearly Catholic/historical and attempts to present Thedora as a defender of the faith, at other points I felt as though the author were presenting her from a modern, feminist perspective. At yet other points I felt as if he were defending her from the charge of relentless and single-minded cruelty, of ruthless tyranny, and doing so from the perspective of a purely Machievellian pragmatism! And these are just the beginning of the contradictions.

My problem is not that I can't envision a person of that complexity. There is, obviously, virtually no limit to the potential complexities of the human personality. A failure to delve deeply enough into that complexity is, in my opinion, the failing here. The mystery of Theodora, the subject of the book, has defeated him. Her life is an enigma that simply resists his every attempt to make it conform to some handy modern concept - to put it in some "box" where a modern reader can merely glance at it, understand it, and turn away - content that their essential world-view hasn't been disturbed. But the far deeper truth is that if you look at Theodora's life and you aren't both confounded and deeply disturbed then you simply haven't been paying attention.