Definitions for "Theodora"
Mother of Emperor Michael III, she officially proclaimed the establishment of the cult of icons in 843 brining an end to the age of iconoclasm. 'The Triumph of Orthodoxy'
Theodora (Greek: Θεοδώρα, Theodōra, literally meaning "Gift of God"), lived 984 – after August 31, 1056, ruled as Byzantine Empress from January 11, 1055 to after August 31, 1056. She was the daughter of Constantine VIII and Helena.
Theodora was the wife of the Byzantine emperor Theophilus. Originally from Paphlagonia, Theodora was of Armenian aristocratic descent and selected by Theophilus' step-mother Euphrosyne as his bride and travelled from her homeland to Constantinople accompanied by several members of her family. During their marriage she bore him five daughters and two sons, the younger of whom became the future Michael III.
Theodora is an oratorio in three acts by George Frideric Handel, set to an English libretto by Thomas Morell. The oratorio concerns the Christian martyr Theodora and her Christian-converted Roman lover, Didymus.