Flavia Maximiana Theodora

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Flavia Maximiana Theodora
Bronze-Flavia Maximiana Theodora-trier RIC 65.jpg
Flavia Maximiana Theodora. On the reverse, the goddess Pietas .
Roman empress
Tenure305–306
BornMaximiana Theodora
Diedbefore 337
Spouse Constantius Chlorus
Issue
Dynasty Constantinian
FatherUncertain, perhaps Afranius Hannibalianus or Maximian
MotherUncertain, perhaps Eutropia

Flavia Maximiana Theodora (died before 337) was a Roman empress as the wife of Constantius Chlorus.

Contents

Biography

Early life

She is often referred to as a stepdaughter of Emperor Maximian by ancient sources, leading to claims by historians Otto Seeck and Ernest Stein that she was born from an earlier marriage between Eutropia, wife of Maximian, and Afranius Hannibalianus. [1] [2] This man was consul in 292 and praetorian prefect under Diocletian. [3]

Timothy Barnes challenges this view, arguing that all "stepdaughter sources" derive their information from the hypothetical 4th century Enmannsche Kaisergeschichte , which Barnes considers unreliable, while sources he considers to be more reliable refer to Theodora as Maximian's daughter, rather than his stepdaughter. [1] He concludes that she was born to an earlier wife of Maximian, possibly one of Hannibalianus's daughters. [4] Although Julia Hillner agreed with the idea of Theodora being Maximian's biological daughter, she also observed that Barnes' theory does not explain why one of Theodora's daughters was named Eutropia. She believes that Theodora was the daughter of both Maximian and Eutropia. She agrees with Barnes that the "stepdaughter sources" are the result of later Constantinian propaganda, but argues that Afranius was instead Eutropia's brother, thus explaining why Theordora named one of her daughter Eutropia, and one of her sons Hannibalianus. [5]

Marriage

In 293, [6] Theodora married Constantius Chlorus, the junior co-emperor of Maximian, after he had set aside Helena, mother of his son Constantine, to strengthen his political position. The couple had six children. [2] Through her son Julius Constantius, she would become the grandmother of the emperor Julian.

After the death of her stepson Constantine, several of her male descendants were massacred, which Julian explicitly blamed Constantius II for. [7] Constantine's successors proceeded to print coins of Theodora, [8] presumably in an attempt to distance themselves from the massacre. [9]

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References

  1. 1 2 Barnes 1982, p. 33.
  2. 1 2 Jones, Martindale & Morris, p. 895.
  3. Jones, Martindale & Morris, pp. 407–408.
  4. Barnes 1982, pp. 33–34.
  5. Hillner 2023, p. 58.
  6. Pohlsander 1993, p. 153.
  7. Julian, "Letter to the senate and people of Athens", 270. Wikisource-logo.svg The full text of Letter to the senate and people of Athens at Wikisource
  8. Woods 2011, p. 193.
  9. Woods 2011, pp. 194–195.

Bibliography

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Flavia Maximiana Theodora at Wikimedia Commons

Royal titles
Preceded by
Prisca
(wife of Diocletian)
Empress of Rome
305306
with Galeria Valeria (305306)
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Eutropia
(wife of Maximian)