Theodora (c. 870 – 916) was a

senatrix The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...

and ''serenissima vestaratrix'' of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. She was the mother of

Marozia Marozia, born Maria and also known as Mariuccia or Mariozza ( 890 – 937), was a Roman noblewoman who was the alleged mistress of Pope Sergius III and was given the unprecedented titles ''senatrix'' ("senatoress") and ''patricia'' of Rome by ...

, alleged concubine to

Pope Sergius III Pope Sergius III (c. 860 − 14 April 911) was the bishop of Rome and nominal ruler of the Papal States from 29 January 904 to his death. He was pope during a period of violence and disorder in central Italy, when warring aristocratic factions ...

, and the mother of

Pope John XI Pope John XI ( la, Ioannes XI; c. 910 – December 935) was the bishop of Rome and nominal ruler of the Papal States from March 931 to his death. The true ruler of Rome at the time was his mother, Marozia, followed by his brother Alberic II. Hi ...

, fathered by—according to Liutprand of Cremona and the '' Liber Pontificalis''—Sergius. A third contemporary source, however—the annalist Flodoard (c. 894–966)—says John XI was the brother of Count Alberic II of Spoleto, the latter being the offspring of Marozia and her husband Count Alberic I of Spoleto. Hence John too was probably the son of Marozia and Alberic I. Theodora was characterized by the aforementioned Liutprand as a "shameless whore ... hoexercised power on the Roman citizenry like a man". Liutprand, a bishop of Cremona, was described by the as frequently being unfair to adversaries and could be partial in his judgments.

General bibliography

* E. Dümmler, ''Auxilius u. Vulgarius. Quellen und Forschungen zur Geschichte des Papsttums im Anfange des zehnten Jahrhunderts'', Leipzig 1866, pp. 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. 177–247; 34, 1911, pp. 75–115 e 393–423; * L. Duchesne, ''Serge III. et Jean XI.'', in "Mélanges d'archéologie et d'histoire", 33 (1913), pp. 25–64 * Ferdinand Gregorovius, ''Storia di Roma nel medioevo'', New Compton Editori Srl, Roma 1972 * ''Lexikon des Mittelalters'', München 2002 *

Citations

External links

"Liutprand of Cremona"
in the ''

Catholic Encyclopedia The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...

'' Papal mistresses People of medieval Rome Women and the papacy 10th-century Italian women 10th-century Italian nobility 870 births 916 deaths Year of birth uncertain {{RC-bio-stub