Women of Byzantium - Softcover

Connor, Carolyn L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300186460 ISBN 13: 9780300186468

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2004

Synopsis

Women played key roles in Byzantine society: some ruled or co-ruled the empire, and others commissioned art and buildings, went on pilgrimages, and wrote. This engrossing book draws on evidence ranging from pictorial mosaics and inscriptions on the walls of churches to women’s poetry and histories, examining for the first time the lives, occupations, beliefs, and social roles of Byzantine women.
In each chapter Carolyn L. Connor introduces us to a single woman—from the elite to the ordinary—and uses her as a springboard to discuss Byzantine society. Frequently quoting from contemporary accounts, Connor reveals what these women thought of themselves and their lives and how they remembered the lives of women who had lived earlier.
Informative, sympathetic, and engagingly written, this book is a window into Byzantine culture and women’s history that has never before been opened.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

"Carolyn Connor has written an attractive and accessible book. Drawing on contemporary writing and visual art she introduces us to the whole range of medieval Byzantine women from empresses to nuns and saints. The book reveals some fascinating individual women and the lively and dynamic society to which they belonged." - Averil Cameron, University of Oxford

"A splendid achievement. A fascinating exploration of the role and activities of women over centuries of Byzantine history." - John Matthews, Yale University

About the Author:

Carolyn L. Connor is professor of classics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0300186460
• ISBN 13: 9780300186468
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432