Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore: A Novel [Paperback]

"Theodora of the Hippodrome, of the brothel, could never have achieved so much if she had not been practical as well as wild." So writes novelist Stella Duffy of Theodora, the daughter of a bear-keeper in sixth-century Constantinople, who rose to become Empress of Byzantium, alongside one of that empire's strongest rulers, Justinian.

Duffy tells the story of how she achieved this improbable feat, born into a world which offered her little choice beyond taking to the stage of the Hippodrome as an acrobat and comedienne renowned, so history tells it, for lewd performances. Offstage, like all actresses of the period, she earned money as a prostitute -- and the most she could hope for was to find someone who would take her on as a mistress for the short term. Then, after her hopes in that direction collapse, she discovers a new direction for herself, both personally and as a public figure.

The Constantinople that Duffy portrays so vividly in this fascinating novel is a world in which ordinary working men and women are prepared to literally come to blows over the pressing theological issues of the day, particularly the precise nature of Christ's divinity. That territory has proven to be a mindfield for other authors, notably Anne Perry, whose The Sheen on the Silk: A Novel was deeply disappointing. Duffy succeeds triumphantly where Perry failed, painting a portrait in words of a woman whose face has come down to us through time in the form of the famous mosaics in Ravenna, Italy. Her Theodora is a pragmatist; hard-headed, ribald and too outspoken for her own good, her challenge to develop judgment, compassion and heart. And the world she inhabits is conjured up for us from the physical setting to its scents and sounds; its mores and the ribald dramas its masses prefer; the role of eunuchs and the importance of the various religious schisms -- Monophysite, Arian, etc. None of that ever feels overwhelming in Duffy's hands.

Best of all, Duffy doesn't make the mistake of romanticizing Theodora's story. For years, Theodora knows pain and pleasure, but romantic love was largely absent in any modern sense in her era, and Duffy doesn't fall into the trap of trying to impose a 21st century ethos on her 6th century characters. True, the language is crisp and modern -- no "thees" and "thous" -- but the attitudes are very much of the time. That can make it harder to identify with Theodora as a person, perhaps, but not to enjoy or appreciate the book itself, which I simply couldn't put down.

This novel is a boon for historical fiction fans, especially those in search of a respite from the endless stream of books set in northern Europe from the 14th to the 17th centuries. Duffy has made her name in the UK with some of her contemporary novels short-listed for the Orange Prize; I'll be hunting for some of those as well as hoping that she pens a sequel to this excellent book, which ends as Justinian and Theodora become rulers of the empire.

Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of the book via NetGalley.com. I expect that when it becomes available for purchase in the US that I'll be adding it to my permanent library.

In choosing Theodora of Byzantium for her subject, Stella Duffy picked a definite case of truth trumping fiction. Duffy fills her novel with richly depictive discourse, transporting the reader into a world of political intrigue and religious turmoil, a world where the worth and potential of an individual was most often pre-determined by birth.

Born into poverty in a time (mid sixth century) and place (Byzantium) in which women had very few options, Theodora, daughter of a deceased bear trainer, followed a path considered fortunate for one in her situation. She gained renown on stage as an actress, which sounds innocuous enough to our modern sentiments, but in her day actresses, along with singers and dancers, became prostitutes to their audiences after their onstage work was concluded. Ms. Duffy uses this early portion of the novel to display for us the strength of Theodora's resolve to rise above her current status, the culture and chaos of Constantinople, and the squalor from which our heroine succeeds in rising. To understand why Theodora is such an anomaly, and thus why she is to be so greatly admired, one must understand the situation from whence she came.

Disclosing too much of the plot would, I feel, rob readers of some of the narrative pull with which the amazing sequence of events of Theodora's life endows this novel. Once immersed in her tale, it is a difficult book to put down. The story concludes with Theodora's marriage to the emperor Justinian I and her coronation as empress of Byzantium. Initially I was very annoyed by the ending. In order to fully appreciate the transformative nature of this woman and understand the complete measure of her intelligence you must explore her role as Justinian's consort. I am happy to report that Stella Duffy announces on the book's Penguin page that she is working on a sequel, to be titled The Purple Shroud.

There is one single element that kept this from being a five star book for me. The book made liberal use of the "F word". It made me approach the first sex scene with some trepidation, as it seemed to indicate that Ms. Duffy's writing in that area might be a bit raunchy for my taste. That ended up being not at all the case. Which left me wondering: who is the intended audience for this book? It lacks the explicit sex which the more profane reader might expect, and its copious research would lead one to believe it is aimed at serious readers of historical fiction, who generally, in my experience, appreciate better verb selection. Yes, some might argue that the word is used to show a certain degeneracy of Theodora's character. I feel it degraded Stella Duffy's literary gifts. Through wonderful, descriptive prose Ms. Duffy makes clear to the reader the gritty nature of Theodora and her unfortunate origins. If an author does such an admirable job of "showing", why stoop to the baseness of not only "telling" but doing so with the crassest of four letter words?

Overall, I enjoyed this look at one of history's oft ignored women of substance. If the one element mentioned above is not one to put you off, I think that lovers of historical fiction, as well as those who enjoy tales of personal transformation and triumph will find this a satisfying read.

The Byzantine Empress Theodora (c500-547CE) had an interesting career as an actor and a prostitute before becoming the wife of the Emperor Justinian. This novel by Stella Duffy, based on extensive research and accompanied by an impressive bibliography, is based on Theodora's life from early childhood until just after her marriage to the Emperor Justinian.
The novel opens with the young child Theodora as part of a group being schooled by Menander about the Roman Empire so that they can converse intelligently as well as entertain with poetry, song, dance and acrobatics. Success, for those on the wrong side of the class divide, relies on patronage. The story of Theodora's early life, set amid the religion and politics of the time, is colourful. The young Theodora is a prickly, opportunistic survivor who learns quickly and her growing notoriety is both an asset and a liability.

Theodora moves from prostitution in Constantinople and leaves behind her family to follow her heart by becoming the mistress of a provincial governor. Then, after being betrayed, she flees and after an intense religious conversion in the desert becomes the emissary of Patriarch Timothy.
fiction
I found it hard to warm to the character of Theodora as depicted in this novel. Theodora often appears cold and cynical and this created a barrier between story and reader. I think in part this is a consequence of the complex setting: historical; geographical; religious and political and partly a consequence of knowing some of the history to follow.
If you are interested in this period of history and in the Empress Theodora, this novel is well worth reading. I hope that there will be a sequel .

`Justinian took a wife; and the manner she was born and bred, and wedded to this man, tore up the Roman Empire by the very roots.' (Procopius)

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

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