thumb|Theodora and Marozia

Theodora (also Teodora) (c. 870 – 916) was a senatrix and serenissima vestaratrix of Rome. Theodora, a Byzantine princess, was married to Theophylact I, Count of Tusculum, of the incredibly powerful Theophylact family. Her daughters Marozia and Theodora II adopted the title senatrix omnium Romanorum. Alberic II of Spoleto was her grandson and he ruled over Rome from 932 to 954.

Her daughter, Marozia, was the alleged lover of Pope Sergius III, and mother of Pope John XI. However, the annalist Flodoard (c. 894–966), a direct contemporary of Theodora's, says John XI was the brother of Count Alberic II of Spoleto. Because Alberic II was Marozia's son by her husband Count Alberic I of Spoleto, John was likely the son of Marozia and Alberic I.

Theodora was characterized by the aforementioned Liutprand as a "shameless whore ... [who] exercised power on the Roman citizenry like a man". <!-- We need the source of this quotation—Google has only Marozia mirrors. --> Liutprand, a bishop of Cremona, was known to his contemporaries and modern historians as being unfair to adversaries.

References

Works cited

Further reading

  • E. Dümmler, Auxilius u. Vulgarius. Quellen und Forschungen zur Geschichte des Papsttums im Anfange des zehnten Jahrhunderts, Leipzig 1866, pp.&nbsp;12–26;
  • P. Fedele, Ricerche per la storia di Roma e del papato al secolo X, in "Archivio della Società Romana di Storia Patria", 33, 1910, pp.&nbsp;177–247; 34, 1911, pp.&nbsp;75–115 e 393–423;
  • L. Duchesne, Serge III. et Jean XI., in "Mélanges d'archéologie et d'histoire", 33 (1913), pp.&nbsp;25–64
  • Ferdinand Gregorovius, Storia di Roma nel medioevo, New Compton Editori Srl, Roma 1972
  • Lexikon des Mittelalters, München 2002
  • "Liutprand of Cremona" in the Catholic Encyclopedia