Constantinople was the capital of what historians call the Byzantium empire. In his book Ghost Empire, Richard Fidler writes that at the height of its fame It was so large, powerful and beautiful it was described by many as ‘A Mirror of Heaven’.

Theodora was born c 497 CE into the one of lowest classes of Byzantine society. She moved up in a very rigid class system becoming the most powerful woman in the empire when she married Emperor Justinian 1st.

It is thought she exercised great influence over Justinian’s political policies as her name is mentioned in many laws passed during the Justinian era. During her time as empress, Theodora passed strict laws to prohibit the traffic in young girls, closed brothels, banned forced prostitution and created safe houses. She also changed divorce laws to secure greater benefits for women and abolished a law that had allowed women to be killed for committing adultery.

Roughly based on the glittering mosaic portrait of Theodora 1st in the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, The Eye in the Mirror of Heaven is a depiction of a woman who presented an unconventional vision to one of the greatest empires in history.

TEXT LUCY STRANGER