The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora by Stephanie Theadora
Review by Katie Rose
Phew! This one has a long title!
Despite that, the novel itself is not terribly long. It tells the story of a
great woman in history who you probably never heard of. I certainly did not
when I read this book. Maybe she got one line in a text book you had in high
school world history, but chances are that is not the case.
Empress Theodora was married to Justinian the first of Rome. She reigned 527Ad-548AD and was known for saving her husband’s throne several times and for making many progressive laws to protect women. She is regarded as one of the most influential Empresses of Rome who ever lived, but was she everything she appeared to be? During her life she was portrayed as woman of the church and for possessing saintly character, but is that how she really lived her life? This novel offers a more realistic idea of who Theodora really was. It is based off a historical biography called The Secret History that was written right after Theodora and Justinian’s deaths, which painted Theodora as a cruel and selfish woman. The truth of Theodora is probably more in between the two, and that is the route this particular story takes.
Empress Theodora was married to Justinian the first of Rome. She reigned 527Ad-548AD and was known for saving her husband’s throne several times and for making many progressive laws to protect women. She is regarded as one of the most influential Empresses of Rome who ever lived, but was she everything she appeared to be? During her life she was portrayed as woman of the church and for possessing saintly character, but is that how she really lived her life? This novel offers a more realistic idea of who Theodora really was. It is based off a historical biography called The Secret History that was written right after Theodora and Justinian’s deaths, which painted Theodora as a cruel and selfish woman. The truth of Theodora is probably more in between the two, and that is the route this particular story takes.
Theodora was born into a poor
family. Her father dies very early in the story, leaving the young Theodora,
her mother, and her two sisters alone. To survive, Theodora’s elder sister
becomes a dancer and a prostitute (in those days they were practically the same
thing), and Theodora herself soon follows. She is much smarter than her sister,
however, and is determined to escape the miserable life she has found herself
in. Her struggle from poverty leads her out of Rome into Egypt, Greece, and
eventually back to Rome. It is there she catches the eye of the new Emperor,
Justinian. From the very beginning of
their relationship Theodora’s position is threatened. No one supports the
marriage, and she knows if the secrets of her past were revealed she would lose
everything. Worse than that, her husband has a weak hold over the throne. His
removal would mean both of their deaths.
Theodora is an extremely
interesting character. She is deeply flawed; her naivety in the beginning of
the story nearly destroys her, and the mistakes that she makes because of it
haunt her for the rest of her life. She has the tendency to be very selfish,
and speaks without thinking. When crossed, she has the ability to be extremely
cruel. However she is clever, bold, brave, and free thinking. She truly loved her husband and her people. A
devout Christian, her faith keeps her alive in a time when she thought she
would die. She was hardly perfect, but she was strong, and survived a
circumstances that was a death sentence for millions of women throughout
history.
No one is as perfect as they
want people to believe they are, especially royals. Therefore I do not think
the image of Christian perfection that she projected in her life is true.
However, I do not believe she was the evil lunatic that she was portrayed as
after she died. I think this novel manages to show what she most likely really
was: a flawed, real human being who had a good heart. She made mistakes in her
life, but she rose above them and became one of the most powerful and
influential women who ever lived.
The novel itself is not the best
book I have ever read. The writing was just okay, but overall it was entertaining.
The charisma and engaging personality of Theodora is really what saved it. She
is by far one of the most compelling characters I have read in a while. The
subject matter extremely difficult at times, as you can imagine with a story
like this. Life was extremely hard for women during this time, especially poor
women. With the horrors she faced, it was a miracle Theodora made it out of her
teenage years at all.
Final Recommendation? I wouldn’t
put this one at the top of your reading list, maybe somewhere in a middle, but
it is worth a look if you are interested in learning about this remarkable
woman. It also portrays a period of Rome that is often overlooked in both
academia and in fiction. Theodora is another woman who’s story has been erased
from history and who deserves to be remembered for the amazing things she
accomplished in life.
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