Since the later Secret History clearly contradicts the contemprarily Wars of Justinian, it´s genrally accepted that the Wars are more reliable I wasn´t going to discuss Theodora in detail, which is why I only mentioned the Nika riot, but you yourself mention her ´feminist´ reforms, which gave Eastern Roman women a better legal position than in any empire of the time - and many later ones. Not to mention that these were not the only reforms she was responsible for.
I suppose it depends on whether or not you take into account the fact that the Wars was published most likely as a commission (much as the later Buildings of Justinian was) and thus necessitated a degree of tact, in terms of the contents of the text itself. This is, of course me being hypocritically hypothetical, but that Procopius mentions in the secret histories that the information he provides is stuff he couldn't have put into his previous published works is something I personally believe must be kept in mind. Keeping the ridiculous notions of Justinian being a closet Dullahan aside, I think the secret histories deserves some attention, even if what information we gleam is taken with a pinch of salt. That, therefore, Theodora comes off as wholly repulsive within the text must warrant some consideration into the actions the undertook in inspiring such revulsion that Procopius was willing to have it published in the first place.
Indeed. Only I didn´t say that, now did I? And Byzantine intrigues are nothing out of the ordinary. Or would you have posterity judge Theodora differently on account of her gender? She is generally referred to as being a prostitute, which is hugely inaccurate: by the time Justinian met her, she was actually a spinster of sorts. Had indeed Justinian married a woman from his own circle, we might never have heard of any woman behind the man - a man who might have been just another short-ruling Byzantine, as they are frequent in the latter period of the empire.
You will have to pardon my vagueness. I was making response to Steamwerks who, waay back on page 3, made reference to Theodora as I quote, "Belisarius' greatest ally at court", which was an error I felt myself compelled to correct.
That being said, I do hope you don't intend to draw sexism into this conversation. I had anticipated things going this way but I assure you that I did not in any way mean to pick on Theodora's flaws by virtue of her gender. This discussion centers around Theodora's worthiness as an ideological figurehead and representative of the empire. It focuses specifically on the impact she made and whether or not it justifies her candidacy in what is essentially popular/gaming culture's most intimate look into the byzantine empire in recent years. It is by these parameters that I find her lacking. If it makes you feel any better, I would have objected similarly strenuously had, say, one of the Angeloi been put forward. This is because I would object to an Angeloi as Byzantium's representative for the same reason I object to Theodora's; Their impacts on the empire were far more negative than otherwise.
Also, Theodora was a burlesque dancer. While this does not make her a prostitute (though I feel there really isn't anything wrong with that), it still makes her a 'woman of ill repute', by most modern standards. And, I suppose, the standards of antiquity as well. While she did indeed remove herself from that profession, becoming a pious 'spinster', as you put it, I would not label this move and her later ascension to the purple 'coincidental', if you get my meaning. I will ultimately admit that without Theodora, Justinian I's reign might well have ended at the Nika riots, but with the caveat that, given all the next quote mentions of Justinian I's overly active ambition, this may not have been a bad thing. Ascribing to her much more than this act of self-preservation might, furthermore, be acting charitable.
Norwich in particular focuses entirely on Byzantine intrigue and isn´t the best source for an analytic overview of the Eastern Roman empire. And again, I made no mention of a ´puppet master´; I merely pointed out that, hadn´t Theodora saved Justinian´s hiny, there might never have been a Justinian the Great. On which note: the conquests made during Justinian stretched the imperial resources pretty far and most of these were lost after his reign - the only lasting ones being those in Italy, hardly an asset for the empire. Also, as usual, they could only be achieved because of peace with the Sassanids - who took over Egypt, Syria and other eastern territory in the decades that followed, when the peace no longer suited them. In fact one might argue that the Roman-Persian mutual stranglehold made both empires weak to the 7th century Arabian onslaught, which saw Egypt and Syria lost forever - as well as the Justinian conquests outside of Italy. So in retrospect, the miltary efforts of Justinian´s reign turned out to be a huge waste of resources with ultimately mainly negative results.
I agree wholeheartedly that Justinian I is not the ideal choice for representative of Byzantium himself, for the reasons you have mentioned as well as the fact that he is commonly referred to as Byzantium's 'last Roman Emperor' and thus fails to capture the essence of the millennium-old empire's character, which was ultimately Greek. It is for this reason that I have personally advocated such more deserving personages as John Tzimisces or Basil II Bulgaroktonos, if we're going for a militant Byzantium, or Alexius I Comnenus if we're going for a more diplomatically inclined one.
I admit to believing that she was chosen because of her gender, and that I therefore take issue with the decision because of this (however tangentially the two ultimately interact). I sincerely hope, however, that you will take more out of this statement than any gender bias it might suggest, and consider Theodora's worthiness with as much detachment as I am attempting to muster.
Thank you for your responses, by the way. they've been very well thought out and I do hope we can continue this discourse with as much civility as it has up to this point been conducted with.
