The Colour of power: A story of Theodora, Empress of Byzantium

by Marié Heese

  The Colour of Power

  Marié Heese

  This is a historical novel, which I have presented as fictional narrative, keeping for the most part within the framework of what is known about the characters and events that figure in it. Since it is a novel and not a biography or a textbook, however, there are omissions, simplifications, manipulations and fabrications. In some instances, there is general consensus among historians as regards the facts of Theodora’s life. The main events are matters of record, and they are a magnificent illustration of the statement that truth is stranger than fiction. Of course there are differences in interpretation of facts. Then there are points where historians disagree as to whether there is any foundation in fact or not. And then there are instances where we have no records, and the writer’s imagination can run free.

  What, or where, was Byzantium?

  Originally, Byzantium was the name given to an ancient Greek city founded on the site of modern Istanbul by Greek colonists from Megara (a town near Athens) in 667 BCE and named after their king Byzas. The Roman emperor Constantine made it his imperial capital, referring to it as the New Rome. It was named Constantinople after his death. After the fall of Rome to the barbarians, usually dated AD 476, Constantinople remained the capital of the Greek-speaking Eastern Roman Empire of late antiquity and the Middle Ages, which outlasted the fall of Rome for a thousand years. This was later termed the Byzantine Empire. The citizens of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Justinian sought to reunify with the former Western dominions, did not refer to themselves as Byzantines, nor did they call their country Byzantium, but I use the term to avoid confusion with ancient Rome.

  The Byzantine civilisation was a great and remarkable one, according to Bridge (1993: vii): “… without which neither western civilisation as we know it nor that of Russia nor eastern Europe could have existed”. Yet for a long time little was known about it (Gibbon disparaged it), and it is only within the last hundred years that historians have begun to reassess its greatness and value.

  Constantinople was captured by the Ottoman Turks, becoming the capital of their empire, in 1453. The name of the city was changed to Istanbul in 1930, following the establishment of modern Turkey.

  What were the Greens and Blues?

  Chariot racing with teams of four horses was a major sport, indeed an absorbing passion, which came down from the Greeks to the Romans and then to the Byzantines. The Hippodrome in Constantinople was a Roman circus, attached to the Imperial Palace, where races were regularly held. The gatherings in the Hippodrome, although they had no legal or constitutional basis, served as a kind of popular parliament where the voice of the people could be heard, and the Emperor could communicate with the people.

  There were at one time four chariot-racing teams, backed by factions of fanatical supporters: White, Red, Blue and Green. By the time of Justinian there were only two, the Blues and the Greens, but they had become far more than simply sports teams. They also gained powerful influence in military and political spheres. Rivalry between the factions often erupted into gang warfare, with the opposing gangs being known as the Blue or Green partisans. (Think Italian football clubs with links to the Mafia.)

  My account of the Nika riots that almost unseated Justinian is as accurate as I have been able to make it. It is true that the two main factions united and attempted unsuccessfully to overthrow the Emperor. Some historians have expressed doubt as to whether Theodora did in fact make the speech that stopped Justinian from fleeing and prompted the bloody massacre in the Hippodrome. This despite the fact that the contemporary historian Procopius provides a verbatim record of the speech. (These same historians, however, are inclined to believe Procopius when he reports that Theodora was a sex-crazed slut.) The doubts are based, it seems, on the assumption that an uneducated woman could not have employed the rhetorical style of the recorded speech. It could be that Procopius made it sound more elegant than it did, but I am certain she did deliver it. Why would Procopius have invented it? He had no good opinion of her.

  About the characters

  Whereas in my novel on ancient Egypt (The Double Crown) I invented a large number of fictional characters, in this novel the majority by far are historical persons. Fictional additions are indicated with an asterisk in the list of characters on pp. 7-8. Justinian is often termed the “last great Roman emperor”, although of the Eastern Roman Empire (i.e. Byzantium rather than ancient Rome as it was before the barbarians conquered it).

  About Theodora there is general agreement that she was an actress, the daughter of a bearkeeper and an actress, did take part in a dramatic appeal to the Greens to reinstate her stepfather, did have a lewd pantomime involving pecking geese, probably was a courtesan at best and a common whore at worst, did go to Africa with Hecebolus, was thrown out by him, did travel back via Alexandria, did meet Father Severus and Father Timothy, was catechised and confirmed by them, did eventually reach home via Antioch, was conscripted as a spy by Macedonia, did meet Justinian, and did become Empress at his side. She had an illegitimate daughter whose name and paternity are not known. It is true that Justinian convinced his uncle to change the law so that he could marry this common actress, that he adored her all his life and referred to her as “our most pious consort given to us by God”.

  Narses the eunuch is a historical person, who later became a successful military general. His role in putting down the Nika riots is documented; I added the suggestion that the message to Ephraem stating that the Emperor had already fled originated with Narses.

  Belisarius was a great general and my reports of his battles are based on fact. He did marry Antonina, who was an actress and the daughter of a charioteer, and she did go with him on campaign. Belisarius had an enviable reputation and historians agree that his one failing was to have allowed his wife to cheat on him with Theodosius, a young man whom they adopted as a godson. I have suggested an alternative explanation for her relationship with Theodosius. There is no historical support for this, but psychologically it makes far better sense than the assumption that this was the one blind spot in the make-up of Belisarius, or that she had some kind of magical power over him.

  Antonina did have a son named Photius who rode with Belisarius and apparently detested his mother. It is not known who his father was. She did marry a Syrian merchant who described her in his will as “the best of wives”.

  The influence of Procopius

  Procopius is considered to be the chief historian of the sixth century. Hailing from Caesarea, he had legal training and accompanied Belisarius on numerous campaigns as his legal adviser cum secretary. He was thus a contemporary of the main characters in this narrative. Procopius wrote eight books about the wars of Justinian, a panegyric work on the buildings of Justinian, and a scurrilous little book originally entitled Anekdota (i.e. unpublished stories). This manuscript was discovered in the Vatican library centuries later and published in 1623 at Lyons under the title The secret history.

  The secret history purports to tell the unvarnished truth about important and powerful people with whom the historian had become disillusioned. But it appears naïve to me, to accept what a historian writes as accurate merely because he was present at the time. Eyewitnesses are notoriously unreliable, and by the time he wrote The secret history, Procopius was clearly a hostile witness.

  I find it strange that historians who, on the one hand, do not take seriously Procopius’s statements that Justinian was a daemon who could disappear through walls, on the other hand do swallow accusations that Theodora routinely slept with thirty men per night.

  Doesn’
t anyone notice that Procopius passes on totally uncorroborated hearsay? He actually uses the words “we are told” on p. 44, and “it is said” on p. 84. Hearsay in the passive voice. How can such a reporter be trusted?

  Bury doesn’t trust him. He writes, and I agree: “It is difficult to believe that if her girlhood had been so steeped in vice and infamy as this scandalous document asserts, she could have so completely changed as to develop into a matron whose conjugal chastity the same enemies could not seriously impugn, although they were ready to insinuate suspicions.” (Bury 1958: 29.)

  Some imaginary additions

  Nobody knows for sure how Theodora managed to reach Alexandria and Antioch and eventually get back to Constantinople. She may or may not have learned to spin wool. We don’t know how or where she and Justinian met.

  I confess to having invented, among other things, Fat Rosa and the abortion, the scene where Theodora and Antonina drive a carriage naked through the streets, the scene where Theodora practises gymnastics in the refectory and is caught by Mother Sophia, and the attack planned by Eric (not a historical character) on Justinian.

  Marié Heese

  Stilbaai, 2010

  I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the following people: Melanie and Fanie Cilliers, to whom this book is dedicated, for their interest and suggestions, and for bringing useful sources to my attention; my excellent literary agent, Daniel Lazar, who asked questions (via e-mail from New York) that prompted restructuring and several rewrites; Alida Potgieter, my editor at Human & Rousseau, for her belief in me and for insightful comments; Louis and Ann Hiemstra for sharing their medical knowledge with me (if there are errors, go ahead and blame them, what do I know?); Louise Steyn, for editing with precision and helping to improve several scenes; Mignon van Coller for technological support; and the team at Human & Rousseau for their contributions to making this book – still, I believe, an artefact that has soul, which is lacking in electronic versions, convenient though they are. E-books just won’t ever compete, in my opinion. They have no texture, no heft and no smell.

  Thanks to my friend Amanda Botha who helps to promote my work in various ways.

  As always, I would like to thank my husband, Chris. He offers criticism that doesn’t occur to other readers but can’t be ignored. This time, his contribution was far greater than usual: he pulled me out of a plot hole, pushed me into rewriting and took me to Istanbul. Despite occasional complaints, he is a singularly supportive and patient writer’s spouse on top of his own remarkable projects, which are time-consuming and numerous. Thank you, Chris, for all of that.

  List of Characters

  Fictitious characters are indicated with an asterisk (see Author’s Note on p. 361 for comments)

  Acasius, Theodora’s father, bearkeeper, I suggest also former

  Syrian priest

  Alexia, daughter to Antonina (real person, father unknown,

  invented name)

  Amantius, Grand Chamberlain

  Anastasia, Theodora’s mother, actress (real person, invented name)

  Anastasia (Stasie), Theodora’s younger sister

  Anastasius (“old Odd-eyes”), Emperor of Byzantium

  Anastasius, grandson to Theodora, born to Juliana and Zeno

  Antonina, actress and friend of Theodora, marries Belisarius

  Asterius, Dancing Master of the Greens

  Belisarius, general and later Commander in Chief of

  the Byzantine army

  Cappadocian John, Praetorian Prefect of the East, tax collecter

  Celer, eunuch and Master of Offices

  Chrysomallo, acrobat and dancer, friend to Theodora

  Comito, Theodora’s elder sister, actress and courtesan

  *Darius Pollo, Theodora’s first protector

  *Denderis, a eunuch major-domo to Hecebolus

  *Eric, spear-bearer to Vitalian

  Eudaemon, Praetorian Prefect of Constantinople

  Euphemia, formerly the slave Lupicina, Empress of Byzantium

  *Fat Rosa, a washerwoman

  Father Epiphanius, Patriarch of Constantinople

  *Father Rufus, palace priest in Appollonia

  Father Sabas, holy man

  Father Samson, holy man and healer

  Father Severus, deposed Patriarch of Antioch sheltering in Alexandria

  Father Timothy, Patriarch of Alexandria

  *Gaius Lepidus, champion charioteer

  Hecebolus, becomes Governor of the Pentapolis in Africa,

  Theodora’s lover

  Hypatius, military man, nephew of Anastasius

  Indaro, acrobat and dancer, friend to Theodora

  Juliana, Theodora’s daughter by Hecebolus (real person,

  invented name, father not identified)

  Justin, a peasant and military man, follows Anastasius

  as Emperor of Byzantium

  Justinian, excubitor, Justin’s nephew, becomes Consul,

  later Emperor of Byzantium

  Lupicina, see Euphemia

  Macedonia, dancing girl, spy

  *Marcellina, friend to Theodora in Africa

  *Marcus Anicius Longinus, senator, protector of Comito

  Marius, Dancing Master of the Blues (real person, invented name)

  *Mother Sophia, Mother Superior of convent in Alexandria

  Mundus, general in Byzantine army

  Narses, a eunuch, Commander of the Imperial Guard

  Peter, bearkeeper, second husband of Anastasia (Theodora’s mother)

  Photius, son of Antonina, father unknown

  Pompeius, military man, nephew of Anastasius

  Probus, military man, nephew of Anastasius, father to Zeno

  who marries Juliana

  Procopius, secretary and legal adviser to Belisarius, historian

  *Ragu, assistant to Acasius

  *Sister Agnes, nun and wool-spinner

  *Sister Margaret, nun and gardener

  Sittas, general in Byzantine army, marries Comito

  Sophia, daughter born to Comito and General Sittas

  Theocritus, claimant to the throne after Anastasius dies

  Theodora, actress and courtesan, becomes Empress of Byzantium

  Theodosius, mapmaker, adopted godson to Belisarius and Antonina

  Tribonian, legal expert

  Vitalian, soldier, Consul

  Zeno, son of Probus, marries Juliana (real person, invented name)

  Sundry other persons such as a mandator, slaves, soldiers, priests, housewives, dancing girls, etc.

  Power is my mistress. I have worked too hard at her conquest to allow anyone to take her away from me.

  Napoleon Bonaparte

  Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue: The Nika revolt begins, 10-13 January, AD 532

  Part 1: The bearkeeper’s daughter, AD532

  Chapter 1: Exit Acasius

  Chapter 2: For whom the trumpet sounds

  Chapter 3: Only silence

  Chapter 4: A scarlet scarf

  First interlude: The Nika revolt continues, 14 January, AD 532

  Part 2: The actress, AD 512-516

  Chapter 5: Comito acts

  Chapter 6: The insatiable whore

  Chapter 7: No more honey-cakes

  Chapter 8: What have you done?

  Second interlude: The Nika revolt continues, 15 January, AD 532

  Part 3: The courtesan, AD 516–518

  Chapter 9: A spectacular performance

  Chapter 10: The mistress

  Chapter 11: An invitation

  Chapter 12: The Governor’s lady

  Third interlude: The corridors of power, AD 518

  Part 4: A long way home, AD 518-520

  Chapter 13: Pictures

  Chapter 14: Darkest night

  Chapter 15: Alexandria

  Chapter 16: Identities

  Fourth interlude: The Nika revolt continues, 16 January, AD 532

  Part 5: Becoming royal, AD 520-527

>   Chapter 17: Home at last

  Chapter 18: The Hormisdas Palace

  Chapter 19: Dangerously ill

  Chapter 20: Ceremonies

  Fifth interlude: The Nika revolt continues, 17 January, AD 532

  Part 6: Wearing the purple, AD 527-532

  Chapter 21: Despotes and Despoina

  Chapter 22: Ensuring the succession

  Chapter 23: War and peace

  Sixth interlude: The Nika revolt continues, 18 January, AD 532

  Chapter 24: A new emperor

  Seventh interlude: The Nika revolt continues, 18 January, AD 532

  Chapter 25: Carnage

  Finale: The Nika revolt ends, 18 January, AD 532

  Selected sources

  Prologue: The Nika revolt begins, 10-13 January, AD 532

  Narses the eunuch: his journal

  In the year of Our Lord 532, January 13

  There is insurrection in the air. I can smell it. Constantinople smells of many things, depending on who you are: incense and myrrh, floral perfume, spices, salt sea air, fresh bread, fried fish, dried dung, human excrement and piles of garbage left to rot. Right now, the bitter smell of smouldering fires, borne on a raging north wind, permeates the palace where we have sheltered for long hours. The New Rome, founded by Constantine on the Bosphorus when the Old Rome finally fell to the barbarians, is itself now the victim of barbaric acts; what, after all, is the difference between a Christian and a barbarian when either is capable of putting the Church of the Holy Wisdom to the torch? The monumental Walls of Theodosius are ineffectual against the barbarism rampant in our hearts. Ha! Tell this to the rapacious Goths: they need not batter at the gates. We are entirely capable of our own destruction.

  The great Justinian, Emperor and Despotes, stalks up to me angrily. His round peasant face is even more ruddy than usual.

  “Narses, this beggars belief,” he says. “Why has this riot not been crushed? Where are the Imperial Palace Guards? Why have you not led them out?”

  “Despotes,” I respond, standing to attention, “I fear I cannot rely on them. The rioters are civilians, and many of the guards have relatives among them. They will not attack.”