Theodora (11th century)

Theodora Porphyrogenita
Byzantine coin showing Jesus Christ on the left and Empress Theodora on the right.
Empress of the Byzantine Empire
Reign	19 April 1042 – 31 August 1056
Predecessor	Zoe Porphyrogenita & Michael V Kalaphates
Successor	Michael VI
Co-reign	Zoe Porphyrogenita(1042–1050) Constantine IX (1042–1055)
Born	c. 980 Constantinople
Died	31 August 1056 (aged 75–76) Constantinople
Burial	Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople
Dynasty	Macedonian
Father	Constantine VIII
Mother	Helena

Theodora Porphyrogenita (Greek: Θεοδώρα, Theodōra; 980 – 31 August 1056) was a Byzantine Empress born into the Macedonian dynasty that had ruled the Byzantine Empire for almost two hundred years. She was co-empress with her sister Zoe for two months in 1042 and sole empress regnant from 11 January 1055 to 31 August 1056. She was the last of the Macedonian line, and upon her death the empire entered a period of decline that lasted until the ascension of Alexios I Komnenos in 1081.

Theodora was the youngest daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VIII and Helena, daughter of Alypius. As an eligible imperial princess, she was considered as a possible bride for the Holy Roman Emperor in the west, Otto III in 996. However, Theodora was overlooked in favour of her sister Zoe, who was selected as the potential bride, but Otto III died before the wedding. From that point onward, Theodora lived a life of obscurity in the imperial gynaeceum. However, after her uncle Basil II died childless, and her father died without siring any sons, she was forced to the centre of imperial politics. Intelligent and possessing a strong and austere character, Theodora defied her father by refusing to marry the man he had chosen to succeed him, Romanos Argyros, stating that Romanos was already married – his wife having become a nun to allow Romanos to marry into the imperial family. Theodora further claimed that since Romanos and she were third cousins, it was too close a blood relationship for marriage to occur. Consequently, Constantine VIII chose Theodora’s sister, Zoe, who married Romanos instead in 1028.