Saint Theodora Augusta of Corfu
Theodora was born around 815 in Paphlagonia (a region in northern Asia Minor), during a time when iconoclasm was rampant in the Byzantine Empire, particularly in the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Her parents were supporters of icon veneration and raised their daughter to be very pious. At age 15, Theodora married the iconoclastic Byzantine Emperor Theophilus, who chose her at a competition for the most beautiful brides in the Byzantine Empire.
Theodora and Theophilus were married in 831 in the Church of St. Stephen in the Daphne Palace in Constantinople. Theodora had five daughters (Thekla, Anna, Anastasia, Pulcheria, and Maria) and two sons—the eldest, Constantine, who drowned as a child, and the youngest, Michael, who later became Emperor Michael III.
Together With Theodora, secret icon veneration emerged in the imperial family. Her husband continued the iconoclastic policies of his father, Emperor Michael II. Theodora was forced to hide icons from her husband and courtiers, as icon veneration was severely punished, even leading to death. She hid icons under her clothing and in numerous caskets in her half of the palace, constantly risking her life and position at court. She secretly introduced Theodora to icon veneration, which was repeatedly reported to the emperor, but she managed to quell his anger. With her meekness, love for her husband, and patience against his tyranny, she won his heart in the final years of his life.
On his deathbed, dying of chronic dysentery at a young age, Theophilus proclaimed Theodora regent for his three-year-old son, Michael.
Immediately after the death of Emperor Theophilus, Empress Theodora put an end to iconoclasm. On the fortieth day after his death, a church council was convened in Constantinople for this purpose (a supplement to the Eighth Ecumenical Council). The impious iconoclastic Patriarch John the Grammarian was deposed from his position by the church council and imprisoned on his estate. Theodora's spiritual father, Methodius, who had suffered at the hands of the iconoclasts, was elected the new Patriarch of Constantinople. The icons were solemnly brought into Constantinople.
Theodora's son, the young Emperor Michael III, was known for his unbridled behavior and earned the nickname "the Drunkard" from his contemporaries. He organized orgies, forcing one of his drinking companions to play the role of a mock patriarch, and turned the entire gathering into a mock spiritual council, imitating church ceremonies.
In 856, due to the vile actions of her son, Theodora officially resigned the regency, and, according to one historical version, Theodora with With her four unmarried daughters, she was forcibly tonsured as a nun and, by order of her brothers and son, imprisoned in the Carian Palace in Constantinople. There, she led a quiet private life under the supervision of her brother, Bardas. After her death, her body was transferred to the Gastriev Monastery, where her daughters also moved. According to other sources, Theodora led a righteous life in the monastery for eight years, where she died peacefully on February 11, 867. Theodora's relics were saved in 1453, after the fall of Constantinople, by the monk Kalocheretis and, together with the relics of Saint Spyridon, were transported to the island of Corfu in 1457. The relics of Saint Theodora were handed over to the elders of the island and were kept in the Church of Saint Nicholas Devekke for 140 years. In the 17th century, the relics were transferred to the newly built Metropolitan Cathedral, where they are kept to this day. At certain times, the reliquary with The relics may be opened to pilgrims.
"Triumph of Orthodoxy"
After the church council, Theodora organized a church celebration, which fell on the first Sunday of Lent, which was March 11 in 843 (according to other sources, February 19). Since then, every year on the first Sunday of Lent, a feast known as "Triumph of Orthodoxy" has been celebrated. On this day, a solemn procession with the relics of Saint Theodora is always held in Corfu, carrying her relics around the old town.
To learn more about the life of Saint Theodora, venerate her holy relics, and visit other shrines and monasteries on the island of Corfu, book a tour with our agency, Astera Travel Corfu. +306944315190.
