3. Theodora Started As An Actor Who Became An Empress
Empress Theodora is remembered as one of the most powerful and influential leaders of the Byzantine Empire, possibly one of the most powerful women in history since the fall of Rome. Like so many other schemes, she came from humble origins, with her father working as a bear keeper at the hippodrome in Constantinople. As a young woman, Theodora worked in a brothel for low-paying, low-ranking clients. She also worked as an actress, albeit one best befitted for more sultry roles that required her sexual prowess. She set sail for Alexandria in Egypt a few years later, where she was converted to Christianity and came into contact with the man who would become Emperor Justinian.
Justinian went on to marry Theodora, who by that point had an illegitimate daughter. Theodora wore the title of the empress and came to wield considerable cultural and political power over the empire, more than other emperor’s wives customarily did. Some believe that her undesirable actions as empress led to the Nika riots, which threatened to dethrone them. She brutally suppressed the rebellions. Following the riots, she became meticulous about how others should behave in her presence, forcing people to prostrate themselves before her and her husband.