Empress Theodora Picture Gallery

Theodora (497-548) came from humble origins and worked as an actress before catching the eye of future Emperor Justinian. As his wife, she exerted considerable influence on the emperor and on the laws he passed, becoming one of the most powerful women in Byzantine history. The images here are typical of 6th-century Byzantine art, with large-eyed figures in splendid regalia, but there may actually be a fair resemblance to the real Theodora nonetheless.