Nearly all the evidence against Theodora is derived from the violently-written Anecdota of Procopius, and has therefore been suspected. (See esp. Debidour's L'Imperatrice Theodora.) Modern researches, particularly those of Panchenko, the Russian scholar, have vindicated the general credibility of Procopius. Of course, he can frequently be convicted of unfairness; he always attributes the worst motives. His description of the profligacy of Theodora only proves his familiarity with the pornography of Constanti nople. But it rests on the solid witness of John of Ephesus that Theodora's youth was disreputable. We gather too from other writers that she was harsh and tyrannical, as, for instance, from the references to her in the lives of the popes in the Liber Pontif icalis (which used to pass under the name of Anastasius, the papal librarian). Her threat to the person whom she commanded to bring Vigilius to her was "nisi hoc feceris, per Viventem in saecula excoriari to faciam." Much of what we find in these lives is legendary, but they are some evidence of Theodora's reputation. Again, (3) the statute (Cod., v. 4, 23) which repeals the older law
so far as relates to scenicae mulieres is now generally attributed to Justin, and agrees with the statement of Procopius that an alteration of the law was made to legalize her marriage. There is therefore reason for holding that she was an actress. About the beauty, the intellectual gifts, and the imperious will of Theodora there can be no doubt. She was evidently an extraordinary person, born to shine in any station of life.
Her fortunes have employed many pens. Among the later serious works dealing with them may be mentioned M. Antonin Debidour's L'Imperatrice Theodora: Etude Critique (1885), which endeavours to vindicate her from the aspersions of Procopius ; and among more imaginative writings are Sir Henry Pottinger's interesting romance Blue and Green (1879), M. Rhangabe's tragedy OfoScl,pa (Leipzig, 1884), and M. Sardou's play Theodora, produced in Paris in See also Dr. F. Dahn's Prokopios von Ciisarea (1865) and B. Pan chenko in "Vizant Vremennik" vols. ii., iii. and, in addition, the works cited under jUSTINIAN.