#18: Empress Theodora (500 – 548 AD)
Theodora started her career as a performer in the circus, likely as an actress linked to the Hippodrome of Constantinople, which caused a scandal when she married Justinian I in 525 AD. Many thought she wasn’t fit to be a lady, let alone an empress. However, she proved them wrong during the Nika Riots, urging her husband to stay and fight instead of fleeing. She became the empire’s backbone and made sure he didn’t lose his nerve.
provided by constative.com