- Theodora Tocco
Theodora Tocco, nee as Maddalena Tocco (d. November, 1429) was the first wife of Constantine Palaiologos while he was Despot of Morea. Her husband would become the last Emperor of the
Byzantine Empire .Family
She was a daughter of
Leonardo II Tocco , Lord ofZante . Her father was a younger brother ofCarlo I Tocco , Count ofCephalonia andLeukas . Carlo would serve Ruler of Epirus from 1411 to 1429.Leonardo seems to have died early. In 1424, Carlo I adopted Maddalena and her brother
Carlo II Tocco .Marriage
Carlo I was defeated by
John VIII Palaiologos in 1427. He had to withdraw from the parts ofElis under his control and relinquish his hereditary claims toCorinth andMegara . The agreement was sealed with the marriage of Maddalena to Constantine Palaiologos, younger brother of John VIII. [Nicol] ]The marriage occurred in July, 1428. [Sphrantzes] She was converted to the
Eastern Orthodox Church and took the name "Theodora". During their life together, Constantine held various territories of thePeloponnese under his control though still subordinate to both John VIII andTheodore II Palaiologos, Lord of Morea . Maddalena was thus consort to a minor ruler.Death
Theodora died in November, 1429 in
Santomeri while giving birth to a stillborn daughter. She was buried inMystras .References
Notes
Bibliography
*cite book
last = Nicol
first = Donald M.
title = The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261-1453
edition = Second Edition
origyear = 1972
date = 1993-10-29
publisher = Cambridge University Press
isbn = 0-5214-3991-4
*cite book
last = Sphrantzes
first = George
authorlink = George Sphrantzes
title = The Fall of the Byzantine Empire: A Chronicle by George Sphrantzes 1401-1477
year = 1980
month = June
publisher = Univ of Massachusetts Pr
isbn = 0-8702-3290-8External links
* [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BYZANTIUM%2012611453.htm#KonstantinosXIdied1453 Her listing, along with her husband, in "Medieval lands" by Charles Cawley.]
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