Depiction of Theodora Porphyrogenita on the Monomachos Crown.
Byzantine empress regnant
1st reign
21 April 1042 – 11 June 1042[1]
Predecessor
Michael V
Successor
Constantine IX
Co-monarch
Zoe[1]
2nd reign
11 January 1055 – 31 August 1056[1]
Predecessor
Constantine IX
Successor
Michael VI
Byzantine co-empress
(under Constantine IX)
Reign
1042–1055
Emperor
Constantine IX (1042–1055)
Born
c. 980 Constantinople
Died
31 August 1056 (aged 76) Constantinople
Burial
Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople
Dynasty
Macedonian
Father
Constantine VIII
Mother
Helena
Theodora Porphyrogenita[a] (Greek: Θεοδώρα Πορφυρογέννητη, romanized: Theodṓra Porphyrogénnētē; c. 980 – 31 August 1056) was Byzantine Empress from 21 April 1042 to her death on 31 August 1056, and sole ruler from 11 January 1055. She was the last sovereign of the Macedonian dynasty, that ruled the Byzantine Empire for almost 200 years.
Theodora was the youngest daughter of Emperor Constantine VIII. After Theodora's father died in 1028, her older sister Zoë co-ruled with her husbands Romanos III and Michael IV, keeping Theodora closely watched. After two foiled plots, Theodora was exiled to an island monastery in the Sea of Marmara in 1031. A decade later, the people of Constantinople rose against Michael IV's nephew and successor, Michael V, and insisted that Theodora return to rule alongside Zoë.
After 65 days Zoë married again, to Constantine IX, who assumed the imperial responsibilities. Theodora seemingly retired to a convent after Zoë's death in 1050. When Constantine died, the 74-year-old Theodora returned to the throne despite fierce opposition from court officials and military claimants. For 16 months she ruled as empress in her own right before succumbing to a sudden illness and dying at 76. She was the last ruler of the Macedonian line.
^ abcWarwick William Wroth (1908). Catalogue of the Imperial Byzantine Coins in the British Museum. Vol. 1. Рипол Классик. p. 682. ISBN 978-5-87507-066-2. Tʜᴇᴏᴅᴏʀᴀ, daughter of Constantine VIII, 11 Jan. 1055—31 Aug. 1056 (with her sister Zoe, 21 April 1042—11 June 1042).
^Marciniak, Przemysław; Nilsson, Ingela (2020). Satire in the Middle Byzantine Period: The Golden Age of Laughter?. Brill. p. 386. ISBN 978-90-04-44256-6.
^Boyett, Colleen; Tarver, H. Micheal; Gleason, Mildred Diane (2020). Daily Life of Women: An Encyclopedia from Ancient Times to the Present [3 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 307. ISBN 978-1-4408-4693-9.
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and 24 Related for: Theodora Porphyrogenita information
TheodoraPorphyrogenita (Greek: Θεοδώρα Πορφυρογέννητη, romanized: Theodṓra Porphyrogénnētē; c. 980 – 31 August 1056) was Byzantine Empress from 21 April...
empress, wife of John I Tzimiskes Theodora Porphyrogenita (c. 980–1056), empress regnant in 1042 and 1055–1056 Theodora Palaiologina (Byzantine empress) (c....
Zoe Porphyrogenita (also spelled Zoë; Greek: Ζωή Πορφυρογέννητη, Medieval Greek: [zoˈi] "life"; c. 978 – 1050) was a member of the Macedonian dynasty who...
throne with Zoë's sister TheodoraPorphyrogenita. Zoë died in 1050, and Constantine continued his collaboration with Theodora until his own death five...
given to a son, or daughter (Πορφυρογέννητη, Porphyrogénnētē, Latinized Porphyrogenita), born after the father had become emperor. Both imperial or Tyrian...
Zoe's third husband Theodora (Θεοδώρα) (ruled 1055–1056) – restored Michael VI (Μιχαήλ Ϛ') (ruled 1056–1057) – chosen by Theodora; deposed and entered...
empresses, 2 of which have variable ascribed status (these being Saint Theodora and Eudokia Makrembolitissa, who were rulers in their own right but are...
• 867–886 Basil I • 1055–1056 TheodoraPorphyrogenita History • Murder of Michael III 24 September 867 • Death of TheodoraPorphyrogenita 31 August 1056...
hence the epithet Stratiotikos). Michael Bringas was chosen by the empress Theodora as her successor shortly before her death on August 31, 1056. The appointment...
courts. Empresses who ruled in their own right, such as Irene and Zoë Porphyrogenita, sometimes adopted male titles such as basileus and autokrator to illustrate...
that the discovery of nomismata for Empresses Zoë Porphyrogenita (r. 1042) and TheodoraPorphyrogenita (r. 1042) reveals that a reign of roughly two months...
his brother's death Zoë Porphyrogenita (Ζωή) (c. 978–1050, ruled 1028–1050) – daughter of Constantine VIII TheodoraPorphyrogenita (Θεοδώρα) (980–1056, ruled...
(list) (tree) Macedonian dynasty 867 CE 1056 CE 189 years Basil I TheodoraPorphyrogenita (list) (tree) Komnenid dynasty 1057 CE 1185 CE 106 years Isaac...
metochion appears to have ignored a ruling previously made by Empress TheodoraPorphyrogenita, which Nikephoros reasserted. In the fall of 1064, the Oghuz Turks...
(approximate date) Tancred of Hauteville, Norman nobleman (d. 1041) TheodoraPorphyrogenita, Byzantine empress (d. 1056) Xuedou Chongxian, Chinese Buddhist...
1041; she ruled with her sister Theodora and her third husband Constantine IX from 1042 to 1050 TheodoraPorphyrogenita (reigned 1042–1056) – she ruled...
old pieces of the kings and foreign money" as Saturnalia gifts. TheodoraPorphyrogenita c. 980 - 1056 Owned a large collection of ancient coins and medals...
Kalaphates, who was deposed. Empress Zoë Porphyrogenita was restored as empress, and her sister TheodoraPorphyrogenita was crowned co-empress against her will...
monarchs like Pulcheria, Irene of Athens and TheodoraPorphyrogenita, as well as female regents such as Theodora, Theophano and Eudokia Makrembolitissa. There...
attempts on his throne, including two which revolved around his sister-in-law Theodora. He spent large amounts on the construction and repair of churches and...
stepdaughter, the porphyrogenita Maria Komnene and her husband, the Caesar Renier of Montferrat, though himself a fellow Latin. The porphyrogenita Maria may have...
Ingerina (882) Nikephoros II (969) Constantine VIII (1028) Zoe Porphyrogenita (1050) Theodora (1056) The bodies of Patriarch Nikephoros I of Constantinople...
(approximate date) Tancred of Hauteville, Norman nobleman (d. 1041) TheodoraPorphyrogenita, Byzantine empress (d. 1056) Xuedou Chongxian, Chinese Buddhist...
generation a member of the same family, Manuel, married the porphyrogenita princess Theodora Komnene, daughter of John II and his empress, Eirene of Hungary...
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