Theodora Tocco (née Creusa Tocco) (died November 1429) was the first wife of

Constantine Palaiologos Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos or Dragaš Palaeologus (; 8 February 140429 May 1453) was the last reigning List of Byzantine emperors, Byzantine emperor from 23 January 1449 until his death in battle at the fall of Constantinople on 29 M ...

while he was Despot of Morea. Her husband would become the last Emperor of the

Eastern Roman Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

Family

Theodora (Creusa) Tocco was a daughter of Leonardo II Tocco, Lord of Zante. Her father was a younger brother of Carlo I Tocco, Count of

Cephalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia (), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallonia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th-largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It is also a separate regio ...

and Leukas. Carlo would serve Ruler of Epirus from 1411 to 1429. Leonardo seems to have died early. In 1424, Carlo I adopted Creusa and her brother Carlo II Tocco.

Marriage

Carlo I was defeated at the Battle of the Echinades by John VIII Palaiologos in 1427. He had to withdraw from the parts of Elis under his control and relinquish his hereditary claims to

Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...

and

Megara Megara (; , ) is a historic town and a municipality in West Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis Island, Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken ...

. The agreement was sealed with the marriage of Creusa to

, younger brother of John VIII. The marriage occurred in July 1428. She was converted to the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

and took the name "Theodora". During their life together, Constantine held various territories of the

Peloponnese The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...

under his control though still subordinate to both John VIII and Theodore II Palaiologos, Lord of Morea.

Death

Theodora died in November 1429 at Stameron, (either Estamira or Santameri Castle) while giving birth to a stillborn daughter. She was buried in

Mystras Mystras or Mistras (), also known in the '' Chronicle of the Morea'' as Myzethras or Myzithras (Μυζηθρᾶς), is a fortified town and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Situated on Mount Taygetus, above ancient Sparta, ...

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * *98 {{DEFAULTSORT:Tocco, Theodora 1429 deaths Adoptees Palaiologos dynasty Deaths in childbirth 15th-century Byzantine people 15th-century Byzantine women Tocco family Year of birth unknown