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Theodora: Death
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Theodora [I]s the tale of a princess in Roman Antioch who refuses to offer incense to the Roman gods in the Emperor’s honor – which is something like refusing to salute the flag or sing the national anthem nowadays. The Roman “president”, Valens, orders her taken to “the vile place” and offered to the soldiers for their amusement – a fate a great deal worse than death to chaste Theodora. However, Didymus, a Roman soldier who is in love with her, sneaks into her prison cell and persuades her to change clothes with him and escape – leaving him for the soldiers. Outraged, Valens condemns Didymus to death, and Theodora happily joins him in martyrdom.
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While Theodora was alive she was never found to be responsible for any form of miracle therefore some were sceptical of her quick rise to sainthood. However, as the text shows following her death many remarkable things began to occur. Perhaps the most remarkable being that after one year in the tomb her remains were being moved to another grave sight and when the body was being moved the men moving it realized that the body had not decayed whatsoever. Almost as incredible as the preservation of Theodora's body were the miraculous healings that occured because of healing oil which came from the lamp which was over Theodora's tomb. Gregory documents one such healing extensively. Ironically, it dealt with his young sister who was suffering from smallpox and was cured from her disease.
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When Theodora died of cancer on June 28, 548, her body was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles, one of the splendid churches she and Justinian had built in Constantinople. Her death was a great loss to Justinian. It is tempting to see, as some have, the decline of imperial fortunes during the latter years of Justinian's reign as the result of his loss of her counsel. But that would be unfair to Justinian's own genius. Nevertheless, he cherished her memory, as later Queen Victoria did that of her dear Prince Albert. In his latter years, Justinian was in the habit of swearing in the name of Theodora.
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Theodora knew how to be ruthless and no one should sentimentalize her. One source[[9]] for the 'Nika' revolt reports that Justinian might have shown compassion for the nephews of Anastasius, Pompeius and Hypatius, the latter of whom the mob had chosen as their replacement for Justinian, but Theodora did not approve of mercy where the security of the regime was in question. It was her will that Pompeius and Hypatius be put to death. Justinian might later restore their property to their heirs, but by then they were no danger to the regime.
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Theodora differs from the former two oratorios because it is a tragedy, ending in the death of the heroine and her converted lover. The music is much more direct than the earlier works, transcending the mediocrity of the libretto (which was true for several of Handel's works)so that the characters and the drama are well-defined.
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No miracles happened during Theodora's lifetime. At age 74, she was still maintaining a strong work ethic in the belief that "those who don't work, do not eat." On her deathbed on August 29, 892, Theodora was said to be at peace and even excited to be rejoined by her bridegroom, Christ. The penance of silence recently been nulled, Theodora told Theopiste that for burial, she wanted to be separate and by herself-- fortelling the power of miracle- working that she would acquire from the Lord. Due to the majority's thoughts... she was placed alongside the rest of her departed sisters in keeping with their cenobitic lifestyle. The day of Theodora's funeral, Demetrios (a deacon who had been ailed by intestinal problems for nine months) bestowed upon her forehead a kiss and miraculously, regained his health in full.
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