When Justinian Met Theodora – Part 1

Conflicted: A History Podcast

Zach Cornwell

Society & Culture, Education, History

4.8 • 610 Ratings

🗓️ 22 February 2025

⏱️ 88 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

From 527 to 565 AD, Emperor Justinian I and his Empress Theodora ruled over the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. Together, they reshaped the Mediterranean world, weathering political upheaval, wars of conquest, and an outbreak of bubonic plague. In this first installment of a multi-part series, we explore the early years of New Rome’s greatest power couple. Rising from a disreputable background in the brothels of Constantinople, the actress-turned-informant Theodora catches the eye of Prince Justinian, heir to the Byzantine throne... SOURCES: Bridge, Antony. Theodora: Portrait in a Byzantine Landscape. Potter, David. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint. Parnell, David Alan. Belisarius & Antonina: Love and War in the Age of Justinian Hughes, Bettany. Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities. Sarris, Peter. Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint. Cesaretti, Paolo. Theodora: Empress of Byzantium. Procopius. The Secret History. Phillips, Robin. West, Jeff. Who in the World Was The Acrobatic Empress? Norwich, John Julius. Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy Evans, James Allan. The Empress Theodora: Partner of Justinian. Holmes, Nick. Justinian’s Empire: Triumph and Tragedy Charles Rivers Editors. Justinian the Great: The Life and Legacy of the Byzantine Emperor. Captivating History. The Byzantine Empire. 2018 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:57.4	Hello and welcome to Conflicted, the history podcast where we talk about the struggles that shaped us, the tough questions that they pose and why we should care about any of it.
1:06.1	Conflicted is a member of the Evergreen podcast network. And as always, I'm your host, Zach Cornwell.
1:11.5	It's no secret that on this show we tend to spend most of our time in the 20th century.
1:16.3	And that's because I like the 20th century. There's more meat on the bone, you might say,
1:20.9	more facts to work with. With its abundance of sources and counter sources, meticulous record
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