Inspired by: Empress Theodora of Byzantine
This week, we have been inspired by the Byzantine empress Theodora. After reading Procopius’ Secret History you might wonder why. He brands Theodora a controlling prostitute and murderous harlot!
Delving into the scandal and intrigue, we realise Procopius’ brazen slander was in itself an expression of the power of Empress Theodora. Her hold over the emperor Justinian enabled her immense control of the vast and wealthy empire of Byzantium in the sixth century.
It is impossible not to be impressed. Her name is referenced in almost every law passed during this period. She wrote and negotiated with foreign leaders, and even convinced Justinian to stay in Constantinople when the Nika Revolt ravaged the capital. This saved his emperorship.
Theodora was also an ambassador for women and expanded their rights when such action was unprecedented. Coming from poverty and exploitation herself, she passed strict laws to prohibit the traffic of young girls and altered the divorce laws to give greater powers to women. Theodora used her power to speak for women who had never before been protected (or even acknowledged) in law.
Empress Theodora as depicted by a mosaic in Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna
In short, Theodora became what leading statesmen at the time most feared, a powerful woman determined to make substantial changes.
Enter Procopius.
Writing the Secret History in c.550AD, Proopius sought to undermine and break Theodora’s legitimacy as a female leader in a male-dominated world. He paints her as a raging tyrant, addicted to controlling her husband, using ‘slut-shaming’ tactics and stereotypes about female sexuality to slander her.
Our ‘so-called’ modern world is strikingly similar. Society is often quick to judge and stereotype powerful women as inherently dangerous to the status quo in which male leadership is the default. Further, who holds power in the modern world? Women are still having to exert power via their more powerful male counterparts. Most of the world’s nations have still never had a woman leader. In 2017, there were only 15 women world leaders holding office. This represents less than 10% of the 193 UN member states.
Conscience Collective joins with the legacy of Theodora to challenge the status quo and create a more inclusive culture that caters for all - not just the rich and powerful, a realignment which centres on not further damaging the environment around us. We want to acknowledge our sources of inspiration. This includes the women in our community, and figureheads from the past who present us with a vision of how to channel strength to do good for the benefit of everyone in their communities. Rather than contributing to reinforcing and replicating an archaic status quo, we propose being part of a sustained change we need to see...
