Theodora was a 9th-century Byzantine empress consort and regent who played a pivotal role in ending the second period of Iconoclasm. Born in Paphlagonia around 815, she married Emperor Theophilos in 830. Following her husband's death, she governed the empire as regent for her young son, Michael III. Although she held iconophile beliefs that contrasted with her husband's iconoclast views, she successfully navigated the religious conflicts of her era. After being deposed by her son in 856, she lived as a nun in a convent.