Dr. Eleanor Janega and author Stella Duffy dive into the extraordinary life and legacy of Empress Theodora.

A woman who rose from the lowest ranks of society as a prostitute at the Hippodrome to capture the heard of an emperor to become the most powerful woman in the Byzantine Empire.

A strident feminist, she fought for women's rights bringing in laws to stop sex trafficking and punish rape, Theodora was a game changer of the highest order who was venerated a as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church.

MORE

The Rise of Constantinople

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0xDnUgTBWpztIx2NCDrFPt

Justinian: the Greatest Byzantine Emperor?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5rCisdx9LPzINtcXPa1pRg

Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. It was edited by Tim Arstall, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

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Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on