Placed by her mother into a brothel when she was just a child, Theodora was born into the most brutal of worlds. It was a Constantinople riven with division, whether due to theology or circus factions it was always ready to boil over. As befitting a Christian saint, Theodora managed to rise above all of this; she escaped working in a brothel, became the model of a reformed woman, and married the future emperor, Justinian. Then, in 527, when he was declared Emperor, Theodora was brought forward and revealed as Empress of the Roman Empire. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Peter Sarris to discuss this tale of star-crossed lovers and how it facilitated the improbable rise of Theodora.
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Twitter: @Empirepoduk
Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com
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Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis
Producer: Callum Hill
Exec Producer: Neil Fearn
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150. Worlds Colliding: Seizing Settlers in New England
149. Pocahontas: Kidnapped in Virginia
148. America: The Empire of Liberty
147. Queen Victoria: Empress of India (Ep 4)
146. Queen Victoria: The Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets (Ep 3)
145. Victoria & Albert (Ep 2)
144. The Making of Queen Victoria (Ep 1)
143. Isabella of Castile: The Spanish Inquisition, the conquest of Granada, and Columbus
142. Isabella of Castile: Uniting Spain
141. Nur Jahan: The Most Powerful Mughal Woman
140. Nur Jahan: The Light of the World
139. Mrs Genghis Khan
138. The Graceful Reed: Ruling the Islamic Empire
137. Empress Theodora: Making Heaven on Earth
135. Helena: Queen of the World and Finder of the One True Cross
134. Cleopatra: The Would-Be Empress of Rome
133. Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile
132. Journey to Nalanda and the Library of Jewels
131. Buddhism Goes to China
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