Theodora
Theodora,(500?–548), a Byzantine empress noted for her intelligence and strength of character. She wielded great influence over her husband, Justinian the Great, and over affairs of state. Her courage in facing an uprising in 532 is often credited with saving the empire.
Theodora was of humble birth and was an actress before her marriage in 523 to Justinian, who was then a senator. Four years later, upon the death of Emperor Justin I, she became co-ruler with her husband. The Byzantine historian Procopius in his Secret History accused Theodora of having a scandalous past and of being cruel and tyrannical as empress, but modern historians question the reliability of his account.