Theodora Palaiologina Kantakouzene Raoulaina (Greek: Θεοδώρα Κομνηνή Καντακουζηνή Παλαιολογίνα Ραούλαινα, c. 1240–1300) was a Byzantine noblewoman, the niece of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos (r. 1259–1282).
[2][3] At Theodore's death in August 1258, Mouzalon became the regent for the Empire and the young John IV Laskaris (r. 1258–1261), but was murdered by soldiers along with other family members in a coup, organized by the aristocrats, only a few days later during a memorial service for the departed emperor.
The driving force behind the aristocrats' conspiracy was Michael Palaiologos, Theodora's own uncle, who quickly succeeded Mouzalon as regent and was crowned co-emperor in early 1259.
The only power that could avert such an attack was the Papacy, and thus Michael engaged in negotiations for the Union of the Churches, which finally bore fruit in 1274, at the Second Council of Lyon.
[8] The Union, however, and the concessions this entailed to the Papacy in matters of doctrine, were deeply unpopular amongst the Byzantines themselves, and aggravated Michael's already tense relations with the Orthodox clergy on account of his dismissal of the Patriarch Arsenios Autoreianos, who had excommunicated the emperor for his usurpation of the throne from John IV Laskaris.
There, she relocated the relics of Patriarch Arsenios (who had died in 1273) from the Hagia Sophia, and spent the remainder of her life, devoted to her monastic duties and scholarly pursuits.
[1][7][12] In 1289, when her friend, Patriarch Gregory II, resigned, she gave him refuge in the so-called Aristine mansion, which lay alongside the monastery of Saint Andrew.
Based on his successes against the Turks and the disaffection of the inhabitants of Asia Minor with the Palaiologoi, the general Alexios Philanthropenos had declared himself emperor.
Theodora was sent by Emperor Andronikos II, along with her brother-in-law Isaac Raoul who had also been involved in a failed conspiracy and was blinded, to treat with him and persuade him to surrender.