The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1890-01-25


keeper attached to the hippodrome at
Constantinople, and was one of three
sisters whom their mother sent on the
stage when they were still children or
years old. With no salent either for
music or dancing, her fortune was 10 her
face and her tongue. Her pretty features,
her nimble movements, her sudacioas
smartness in repartse, made her the most
popular and notorious IN the pAntomimes
TO use the nearest moderu equivalent)
which delighted people whose taste had
fallen below the regular drama. Need.
less to say what was the morality of the
Byzantine stage, or what was the life the
young actress led. Her enemies OF later
years declared it to have been more than
usually shameless aud disgusting, but the
| question, if deIicately balanced less or
more. besides being now insoluble, need
make little difference to our view of her
character. After some years she accom-.
panied wealthy Tyrisn, as his mistress,
to the governorship of Tripoli; quarreled
with him, left him, and after being re-
duced to sad straits 10 Egypt. found her
way back to Constantinople. where ac-
cordng to story current long afterward
in the city, she sought to support herself
by spinning wool 10 house near the
edge of the Golden Horn. This looks
like trying to turn over new leaf
However. she did not conceal her charms.
Encouraged by the words OF an Oriental
fortuue-teller, who bad promised her
wealth and power, she threw hersef in
the way of Justioiap, who Yielded at once
TO her fascinatIoDs. HI was then about
40 years of age probably some 20 years
her seDior-nephew OF the reiguing
emperor. aud gathering into his hands
ths reins of the government which We're
beginning to slip from the grasp of his
aged and ignorant uncle. He was an
able, well.edneated man, already remark.
able for his fondness of theology and
his sssiduous attention to public
business. His passion led him to
promise to marry the whilom actress,
but law dating I'm substance) from
the time OF Augustus, snd re.snacted by
later emperors, forbade the union OF sena.
tors and other psrsons of exalted rank
to women who had been on the stage.
Nothing was left but to repeal the law,
which the emperor was compelled by the
urgency of his nephew to do, and the
statute may still be read in that corpus
juris which so long held sway over COM
tInental Europe, a monument of Theo-
dors's arts aud Justinian's susceptibility. |
There had been, however, a more serious |
obstacle to the nuptials of the eager pair.
The Empress Euphemia was an ignorant
md rustic person. who bad risen in life
too late to acquire the polish of the
,spital. But she was p,ous. and she was
respectable to the backbone. She had
probably heard OF Theodoras earlier
anne for the court was like most courts;
anyhow che knew v hat Theodore had
,een, aud the idea Of her nephew marry
ng such person was too shocking to he
While she lived she held
'ut and kept her husband to resistance:
lut when che died he gave way, the law
was repealed. the marriage was solemnu.
zed, and when in few years the old
Emperor died Taeodora was crowned
'long with her husband, and received
he homsge Of the senate, the priesthood
md the people. A rise like this had
'ever been seen before, not even 10 Con-
tantinople, and WAS never seer again
nat such person should have married
n emperor was wonderful enough. But
hat OF all empeTors she should have
'arried Just,niaD, the industrious and
bstemlous Jnstiuian-h~re was iodeed s
latter Tor hymn to Aphrodte. had
Aere been post TO sing 1.-THE Con.
'mporsry Review.