An original fictionalized biography of a Constantinople circus performer who became the great empress of Byzantium. Like a magic lantern, the narrative highlights from the depths of centuries two majestic figures - Empress Theodora and Byzantine Emperor Justinian, raised from obscurity by the mysterious power of fate. He is a village shepherd, in love with book wisdom, who managed to revive the former greatness of the Roman Empire. She is a child of the circus, skillfully entertaining the riotous crowds of men at the hippodromes of Constantinople, inflamed by gambling. Understanding the essence of human character, Theodora learned to manipulate people and ascended to the pinnacle of power. Justinian, who conquered North Africa, Sicily and Italy, worshiped her and considered her the embodiment of the great women of the past - Cleopatra and Helen the Beautiful. The book vividly and imaginatively recreates the complex atmosphere of the Roman Empire during the era of the reforms of Justinian the Great, against the backdrop of which the love story of the porphyry-bearing couple unfolds.