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Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore
Stella Duffy
Penguin
September 2011
On Sale: September 27, 2011
352 pages ISBN: 0143119877 EAN: 9780143119876 Kindle: B005ERIRSQ Paperback / e-Book
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Historical | Literature and Fiction
Soon to be an HBO series For citizens of Byzantine Constantinople, the name Theodora
evoked strong reactions--awe, lust, and doubt to name a few.
Sadly, Theodora is all but lost to history. Her story, both
mesmerizing and inspiring, has been rescued from obscurity
by Stella Duffy in her new novel, THEODORA: Actress,
Empress, Whore (A Penguin Paperback Original). Like
Elizabeth I and Cleopatra, Theodora was expert at wielding
power from the throne. Unlike those famous rulers, Theodora
was not born into royalty. Her rise to become Empress of the
Roman Empire began in the bear pit of the Hippodrome. Born to the famed stadium's bear-keeper, Theodora's early
life was drastically altered when her father was killed by
his beloved bear. In order to keep their family afloat,
Theodora and her two sisters were indentured to Menander,
coach of one of the city's foremost dancing troupes. A
natural performer, Theodora learns dance, acrobatics, and
comedy, and by the age of fifteen, became the star of the
Hippodrome. Like almost every actress of the time, Theodora
was also a child prostitute. At the age of eighteen and at the height of her popularity
in Constantinople, Theodora decides to abandon her career in
favor of following her lover Hecebolus to The Pentapolis
(modern day Libya) where he is the new Governor. She leaves
behind her beloved sister Comito, her theater community, and
her daughter Ana, whom she barely knows. When things turn
sour with Hecebolus Theodora escapes to a religious
community whose views conflict with the contemporary Roman
state. Theodora renounces her former life, undergoes a religious
conversion, and is eventually sent back to Constantinople as
a spy. She is soon sent to meet Justinian, nephew to the
Emperor Justin. Theodora works closely with Justinian and
eventually he asks for her hand, changing the law forbidding
former actresses from marrying, opening doors for all women.
After their marriage, Theodora and Justinian stand side by
side as he is crowned Emperor and she, his Empress.
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