Flavia Maximiana Theodora

Flavia Maximiana Theodora was a late ancient Roman empress. As a wife of Emperor Constantius Chlorus, with whom she had six children, she was an important member of the Constantinian dynasty founded by him.

Theodora's affiliation is unclear. The research usually assumes that Theodora was the daughter of Eutropia, the Emperor Maximian woman. However, they come from the first marriage of Eutropia with a Syrian, probably Afranius Hannibalianus, the consul of the year 292, and was therefore only Maximian's stepdaughter been. The nickname Maximiana they should therefore, according to this version is not supported by birth, but only after the appointment of Maximian as co-regent of Emperor Diocletian in the year 286 have accepted. However, Timothy D. Barnes holds the sources in which Theodora is called Maximian's stepdaughter, for less credible than those in which Theodora appears as his own daughter. Barnes holds Theodora therefore for the daughter of Maximian and a not well-known woman, possibly a daughter of Afranius Hannibalianus, with whom he had been married before.

In 293 Diocletian created with the appointment of Constantius I and Galerius to co- or sub- emperors ( Caesars ), a new form of domination layout: the Tetrarchy. In order to strengthen the cohesion of the past four emperors, Maximian adopted his reign of Emperor Constantius. Even though later sources indicate that he married him on this occasion with his stepdaughter Theodora, married Constantius and Theodora probably already 289, as is apparent from a panegyric, which was held on 21 April of the year at the court Maximian. Constantius had his previous partner Helena, the mother of Constantine, ad for this new connection. The marriage produced six children: The three boys Julius Constantius, Flavius ​​Flavius ​​Dalmatius and Hannibalianus and daughters Constantia, Anastasia and Eutropia.

To Theodora's further life, especially their fate in the reign of her stepson Constantine, who was emperor since 306, there is no evidence. Maybe she died after the birth of their children, perhaps the missing sources are also so to explain that Constantine gave away his stepmother after his assumption of power by the Court, and from the power. Her sons in any case had to withdraw into the Gallic Tolosa, where perhaps Theodora was staying. In general it can be said that Theodora remained in the background, and - like the other women of the Tetrarchy - politically did not appear.