Thekla (daughter of Theophilos)
Thekla (Θέκλα; later Thecla) was a princess of the Amorian dynasty, the eldest child of Emperor Theophilos and Empress Theodora. Born in the early 820s or 830s, she was given the title augusta in the late 830s. After Theophilos died in 842, Theodora ruled as regent for Thekla’s younger brother Michael III. Thekla was kept close to power and appeared on coins as co-empress with Theodora and Michael, suggesting she was groomed as a possible ruler if Michael died.
In 856, Michael III became sole emperor and Thekla was removed from influence and sent to a convent in Constantinople. Later accounts say she may have returned to politics and even become the mistress of Basil I, Michael’s ally who would kill Michael and take the throne in 867. When Basil found out about Thekla’s affair with another man, John Neatokometes, he beat her and confiscated her wealth.
Thekla’s illness in 843 was said to be cured after a visit to the Theotokos monastery, and Theodora granted a chrysobull for the monastery. She spent much of her life in convents or at court, and some early sources describe her as co-ruler, though the practice of including her on coins stopped after Michael’s reign.
She died sometime after 870 and was buried in the Monastery of Gastria with her mother and sisters. Thekla had six siblings: sisters Anna, Anastasia, Pulcheria, and Maria, and brothers Constantine (who died as a child) and Michael III. Her life shows how imperial women could be deeply involved in Byzantine politics, sometimes with dangerous consequences.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:59 (CET).