Women of Byzantium

by Carolyn L. Connor

On detailed inspection, sources relating to the Byzantine empire do contain significant reference to the position and role of women in society. In this study Carolyn Connor presents a window into the `lives, occupations, beliefs, and social roles of Byzantine women' from Late Antiquity, AD 250, to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. Drawing on a wide variety of sources including art, architecture, inscriptions, hagiographies, poetry. histories, legal records and chronicles, each chapter takes a particular theme relating to women such as imperial marriage, women as saints, female pilgrimages, monasticism and women as patrons. Each chapter begins with a general introduction to its central theme and then takes a particular female figure as a case study, covering many different types and social classes of women. The lives of ordinary women, wives, mothers, and sisters are social classes of women. The lives of ordinary women, wives, mothers, and sisters are placed alongside those of the empress Theodora, the empress Zoe, the wife of the emperor Justinian, Anna Kommene, and so on. An impressive and well-written study which is not beyond the general reader.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

396 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Niniane · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engrossing read. You will learn something new wether or not you're already familiar with the subjects. I personally preferred the chapters on Anicia Juliana and empress Zoé. The approach to the later was compassionate and humanizing. Something much needed given the tendency to blame female historical figures for things they had nothing to do with.

Though the chapters show enough diversity of women's experience, the focus is mostly on religious life (and some of these sections were particularly dry). I would have wanted to read more about women's work instead of examining convents' rules in detail.