Teodora: Un’odierna lettura romanzata in Italia

Abstract

This paper examines two Italian novels by Mariangela Galatea Vaglio, a historian, novelist, and blogger. The novels, published in 2018 and 2022, are titled Teodora. La figlia del circo and Teodora. I demoni del potere. In my analysis, I will focus on a few key aspects that are, in my opinion, essential to the novels. First, I will briefly analyze the techniques used to represent the cultural situation of the time. Secondly, the focus will be on Vaglio’s characterization of Theodora and Justinian as complementary examples of ‘nonconformist’ femininity and masculinity. In particular, I will consider the Nika revolt of 532 CE, which is presented in I demoni del potere as a crucial moment in the empress’s path. To highlight the unique aspects of Vaglio’s narrative, a comparison will be made between her depiction of Theodora’s famous speech during the revolt and Procopius’ narrative in his History of the Wars, as well as Stella Duffy’s description of the event in her novel The Purple Shroud. Finally, the author herself briefly explains the reasons for reexamining the figure of Theodora today in a short interview.