Unrivalled Influence: Women and Empire in Byzantium

by Judith Herrin

Unrivalled Influence explores the exceptional roles that women played in the vibrant cultural and political life of medieval Byzantium. Written by one of the world's foremost historians of the Byzantine millennium, this landmark book evokes the complex and exotic world of Byzantium's women, from empresses and saints to uneducated rural widows. Drawing on a diverse range of sources, Judith Herrin sheds light on the importance of marriage in imperial statecraft, the tense coexistence of empresses in the imperial court, and the critical relationships of mothers and daughters. She looks at women's interactions with eunuchs, the in-between gender in Byzantine society, and shows how women defended their rights to hold land. Herrin describes how they controlled their inheritances, participated in urban crowds demanding the dismissal of corrupt officials, followed the processions of holy icons and relics, and marked religious feasts with liturgical celebrations, market activity, and holiday pleasures. The vivid portraits that emerge here reveal how women exerted an unrivalled influence on the patriarchal society of Byzantium, and remained active participants in the many changes that occurred throughout the empire's millennial history.Unrivalled Influence brings together Herrin's finest essays on women and gender written throughout the long span of her esteemed career. This volume includes three new essays published here for the very first time and a new general introduction by Herrin. She also provides a concise introduction to each essay that describes how it came to be written and how it fits into her broader views about women and Byzantium.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Judith Herrin studied history at the Universities of Cambridge and Birmingham, receiving her doctorate from the latter; she has also worked in Athens, Paris and Munich, and held the post of Stanley J. Seeger Professor in Byzantine History, Princeton University before taking up her appointment as the second Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine Studies at King's. Upon her retirement in 2008 she became a Research Fellow in the Department.

She is best known for her books, The Formation of Christendom (London 1989), Women in Purple (London, 2000), and Byzantium: the Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire (London, 2007); she has also published widely on Byzantine archaeology and other fields. Her current research interests include women in Byzantium and Byzantium in relation to Islam and the West. In 2002 she was awarded the Golden Cross of Honour by the President of the Hellenic Republic of Greece.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's great that this is a book talking about Byzantine women, which are an understudied group. Unfortunately, this book doesn't do it very well. First of all, this is not a unified book with a central theme, but a collection of essays written at varying times and for various purposes, placed together in the same book because they all talk about Byzantine women. This results in a lot of repetition, as well as a general lack of focus. Many chapters spend so much time on background (which is often unnecessary as it has been explored in previous chapters) that comparatively little is said on the actual claims of the chapter. It means that all the content is much more superficial and descriptive than analytic.

The author also often makes interesting, but potentially contentious, claims in a sentence or two but does not offer significant evidence or justification for such a claim. This is especially egregious when such questionable claims form the basis for a larger argument (the special relationship between women and icons is a particular offender).

There are interesting tidbits of information and analysis here, but to get to them you have to slog through constantly repeated information (such as the constant refrain about how Irene blinded her son in order to gain power, or the reiteration of the claim about women and icons). The writing is also not great, and sometimes read like a college paper.

I started this book with the belief, based on previous studies, that Byzantine women in aggregate probably were in a better position than women in western Europe during the same period. They certainly had influence in many areas. Unrivalled Influence, however, did nothing to increase this belief. I think it is a sign of an unsuccessful book when I started off agreeing with the central premise (as far as this book can be said to have one) but still wasn't convinced by the book itself.

[Cheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very scholarly book that deals with the role of women in Byzantium. Unfortunately, it’s difficult for me to enjoy reading this book as it seems the book is intended for fellow academicians. At the end of each chapter is a lot of footnotes. While the topic is interesting, Herrin largely deals with the written manuscripts and material objects to discuss the presumed role of women. The easiest way to understand the role of women in Byzantium, despite its scant evidence, was through their participation in religious activity. As such, the majority of chapters also discuss the religious history of Byzantium, of its icons and doctrines.

The interesting bit that I learned from this book is the Byzantine Orthodox icon-worship derives from the pagan paintings that were worshipped in the Greek and Roman households prior to their adoption of Christianity. The pagan followers replaces the images of former Gods/Goddesses with the Christ but the adoration of icons was the continuation of their ancient way.

I definitely skimmed some of the chapters that deal heavily with the Byzantine religious history. This book is perhaps better suited for historians or students specialising in the history of late antiquity.

[Răzvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Ea se născuse în camera de purpură destinată nașterilor din cadrul palatului și, prin urmare, fusese identificată ca prințesă născută în purpură”. Judith Herrin, „Femeile în Bizanț- influență fără egal”, traducere de Simina Bălășoiu, Baroque Books&Arts, 2024
Călătoriile în timp își mai schimbă sensul după o vreme. De exemplu Back to the Future Day a rămas 21 octombrie, după ziua în care au ajuns eroii din filmul SF cu același nume în 2015, în partea a doua a francizei. Între timp, viitorul din film este trecutul tău. Dar chiar și așa, surprizele pot să apară. Îți arată și Judith Herrin în volumul „Femeile în Bizanț- influență fără egal”. Călătoria de care ai parte astfel îți arată cât de greu se formulează perspective pe care astăzi le consideri de la sine înțelese ori tradiționale.
„În această metodă de diferențiere a figurilor de femei, Fecioara Maria și-a găsit locul fără dificultate”. (p.198) Judith Herrin, „Femeile în Bizanț- influență fără egal”, traducere de Simina Bălășoiu, Baroque Books&Arts, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTyQC...

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent book of Judith Herrin. This one concentrates on the Feminine in Byzantium. It is a compilation of various, previously published essays on various topics concerning the role of women in the Byzantine empire. Unfortunately this is a weak point in the book, because the texts are sometimes overlapping and the information becomes repetitive. On the other hand given the scarcity of the sources some examples are being from various points of view examined providing an exciting glimpse the Byzantine world behind the clamour of the battles and the glittering ceremonies.

[Jelena Milašinović · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always Herrin masterfully describes medieval Byzantium. Her fascinating portrayal of impressive women (empresses, princesses, saints, nuns, deaconess, ordinary folk etc.) and their role within the Empire and the Orthodox Church introduces the reader to the specific set of circumstances that in some ways gave the women in Byzantium more flexibility to exercise power. The book is a must read for anyone interested in gender studies, the history of Byzantium and medieval times in general.

[Diarmuid Angland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of essays and talks on a number of aspects of women’s lives in Byzantium.

It gives a number of interesting insights into areas of topics where women could exercise independent agency. It also sets out to correct the silencing of women’s roles in Byzantine society by reading through the historical writing on women by men and drawing insights from this that they may not have been aware of.

[Rosa-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about Byzantine women, easy to read for those with no background knowledge and those who do. More of a breathe study of these women, looking at the context and famous examples, it grants a taste of what can be explored.