The unbelievable life of Theodora of Byzantium
Novel based on the true story of a prostitute and the son of a farmer who became the emperors of the Byzantine Empire in 500 AD, and together made Constantinople the most beautiful and evolved capital in the world for centuries and centuries.
- Hold this bag tight and every time I signal you, you throw an apple to the bear, okay? You won't make a mistake, will you? It's a simple thing, even you can do it - Acácio says to his little daughter, while his wife plays the drum to draw the attention of passers-by to the presentation of the trained bear, which is about to begin. The trainer observes the gathering of people waiting for his show, while keeping the bear restrained by a leather collar and a thick chain. When he sees that the spectators, impatient with the delay in the performance, are starting to disperse again, Acácio orders his wife to stop playing the drum and, turning towards the bear, shouts:
-Fero, get up! - and the audience immediately reacts with claps and howls to the bear's obedience, while Teodora gratifies him by throwing an apple in his direction, which he grabs with his nails.
Acácio then covers the floor in front of Fero with embers and, pulling on his chain, orders:
- Fero, dance! - and the bear starts hopping from one foot to the other as the embers burn his feet.
Seeing the animal's suffering, Teodora's eyes filled with tears, and she forgot to reward him for the trick. The bear, enraged by the pain, the chaotic atmosphere of the fair and the hunger it had been subjected to over the last few days, charged towards Acácio and attacked him. Teodora's mother then ran out screaming with her daughter in her arms, while the audience stood paralyzed by the carnage in front of them.
In the days that followed Acácio's death, his wife and children were exposed to a series of humiliations, being accused by the green faction, for which Acácio worked, of having put the merchants' customers at risk by using a dangerous bear in their tricks. Theodora's mother, who worked as an actress at the Hippodrome in Constantinople during the day and provided sexual favors at night, was the victim of repeated violent attacks from her clients.
- If you continue in this life, you won't last long. Remember that you have children to raise and you need a man by your side to defend you. You should take advantage of the green faction's benefits: when a widow marries immediately after her husband's death, the new husband inherits the deceased's old work permit. That way, it'll be easy to find an interested candidate, after all, you're still good enough...
Some time later, Teodora's mother remarried, and Teodora's stepfather became the new ursarius of the Green faction.
From an early age, Teodora adopted her mother's artistic career, working as a mimic, comedian and dancer. She also worked in a brothel, serving low-level clients. Although she was petite, she had a very pretty face and a curvaceous body, which she knew how to enhance by covering up with few clothes and transparent fabrics. What's more, her performances won over audiences because of her audacity. On stage, she always went a little further than her professional colleagues dared.
By the age of 16, she had already established herself as a celebrated artist and prostitute, having become famous for her stage portrayal of “Leda and the Goose”. Each time, Teodora would fall to the stage with her legs open and almost no clothes on, being attacked by geese who would eat barley seeds inserted into her sex, giving the audience the impression that they were raping her. Taking advantage of the fame and immediate glory that the play brought her, Theodora and her friend Antonina opened a whorehouse that became the most famous in Constantinople. Everyone wanted to meet the queen of depravity.
But one day, Antonina was outraged to learn of her old friend and business partner's plans:
- I don't understand why you decided to abandon everything to become someone's official mistress. Just when you've become the star of the Hippodrome and we're making tons of money from our business! - Antonina said to Teodora.
- This life we lead is very tiring and dangerous. I want to make the most of it while I'm still young, beautiful and desired by everyone so that I can find a husband to support me in the future. I don't want to end up like my mother. She was also beautiful and successful, but today she's finished due to a life of abuse and excessive drinking. Not even my stepfather cares about her.
- But who is this man you're leaving with?
- It's Hecobolus. He was chosen by Emperor Anastasius to be governor of Isauria, located in the central region of the Taurus Mountains to the south. It's a region full of rebels that no one is managing to control.
Hecobolus was a competent military commander and administrator, having successfully pacified the rebels. But Theodora became a constant victim of her lover's mistreatment. After four years of cohabitation, unable to bear the suffering any longer, she decided to flee and return to her homeland.
On her way back, Theodora stopped at a small community of ascetics who lived in isolation in the desert. During the days she stayed there, she shared with the inhabitants the scarcity of food and water and the extreme temperature conditions of the desert. The conversations she had with the religious at night by the fire convinced her that, despite having led an extremely immoral life until then, she could redeem her sinful soul if she began to live a virtuous life among them
- Every sinner has a saint inside them that needs to be freed. All you have to do is repent and be transformed. To do this, join us. An austere life, without luxuries or comforts, will help strengthen your spirit and self-control. Your days will be marked by prayer, fasting and meditation.
- Do you really think I have salvation? I can't bear the thought of going back to my previous unworthy life and suffering the punishments I've been subjected to over the last few years. I want peace, nothing more.
Theodora then decided to join this community in the desert. During the time she lived there, she met Pope Timothy II, who stayed there during one of his journeys. Her relationship with the pope resulted in her conversion to Miaphysitism, as she shared his belief that Jesus was a uniquely divine entity, without any human character. After all, she thought, how could Jesus have been a man, subject to the same desires and vices as the men she had met in her life of smut?
This story continues in the next chapter, after all, Theodora hasn't become empress yet, has she?
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Voltar