Sophia (empress) - Empress Consort

Empress Consort

Justinian I had several nephews but seems to have never appointed an heir. On the night of 13 November 565 – 14 November 565, Justinian I lay on his deathbed. Justin was his kouropalates and thus the only viable heir within the Great Palace of Constantinople. He managed to gain the support of the Byzantine Senate and was proclaimed emperor within the palace walls before the other members of the Justinian Dynasty were notified. The events were recorded by the court poet Flavius Cresconius Corippus.

Corippus often translated her Greek name "Sophia" to its Latin equivalent "Sapientia". The meaning of both is "Wisdom", and the poet uses it as both a divine name and title for her. The accession speech of Justin makes specific mention of Sophia co-ruling with her husband, the presumption being that she already exercised political influence over him. Corippus records Sophia being in charge of the arrangements for the funeral of Justinian and claims she weaved his shroud with scenes depicting the triumphs of his reign.

The main challenge to the new reign was another Justin, cousin to the new emperor. This namesake cousin was a son of Germanus and his first wife Passara. He had distinguished himself as a military commander and was thus seen as a better choice from a military point of view. According to Evagrius Scholasticus, the Emperor and Sophia initially welcomed their kinsman to Constantinople but before long had him exiled to Alexandria. In 568, the other Justin was murdered in his bed. John of Biclaro attributed the murder on supporters of Sophia. Evagrius claims that the head of the deceased was sent to the imperial couple who spitefully kicked it around. Evagrius is mostly negative in his account of Justin and Sophia, so should not be taken as an impartial source.

In 568, Narses was removed from his position as prefect of Italia. According to Paul the Deacon, Sophia sent a message to the senior general that she had a more suitable position for a eunuch like him, as an overseer of the weaving girls of the gynaikonitis (women's quarters). Paul attributes to this message the choice of Narses to retire in Naples, instead of returning to Constantinople as Justin had ordered him to do. The interpretation being that Narses was afraid of Sophia.

Sophia also influenced the financial policies of Justin. Having inherited an exhausted treasury, they set about repaying the various debts and loans of Justinian to bankers and money-lenders. According to Theophanes, Sophia was in charge of the examination of the financial records and the payment; thus restoring the credibility of the royal treasury. The imperial couple was trying to cut down on expenses and increase the treasury reserves. Evagrius, John of Ephesus, Gregory of Tours and Paul the Deacon all mention it while accusing both Justin and Sophia of greed. She did research their debts and repaid them, which gained her a lot of contemporary praise.

Sophia took the name Aelia following the practices of the empresses of the Theodosian dynasty and the House of Leo. The name had not been used by the two preceding empresses of her own dynasty. She was the first Empress consort depicted in Byzantine coinage with equally royal insignia to her husband. They were also depicted together in images and statues while the name of Sophia alone was given to two palaces, a harbor and a public bath built in her honor.

In 569, Justin and Sophia together reportedly sent a relic of the True Cross to Radegund. The event was commemorated in Vexilla Regis by Venantius Fortunatus. They also sent relics to Pope John III in an attempt to improve relations - the Cross of Justin II in the Vatican Museums, a crux gemmata and reliquary of the True Cross perhaps given at this point, has an inscription recording their donation and apparently their portraits on the ends of the arms on the reverse. However the religious policy of the couple was controversial. According to John of Ephesus and Michael the Syrian, husband and wife were both initially monophysites who converted to Chalcedonean Christianity to gain favor with their uncle Justinian. During their reign, they attempted a failed reconciliation of Chalcedonian and Monophysitic Christianity which ended in renewed persecution of the latter. Meanwhile their own beliefs were still in question.