The Empress Theodora and Justinian
The birth of an eastern circus woman attracted no attention at all in mid-millennium year 500. No one could ever imagine that this baby would grow up to be one of the most remarkable women in history of the World. She was the daughter of the bear keeper, a public performer,wife of Justinian, Empress of the Byzantine Empire and a natural beauty whose name became the one name in the voluminous annals of the Byzantine empire known to almost everyone; Theodora. Once the former show girl settled down to respectable married life, she touched every branch of life in the Empire. She had her finger on everything including military campaigns, architectural developments, and government policy and law reforms. With her intelligence and charm and her indomitable willpower she became the backbone of Justinian by being the partner in power. Her supremacy and authority over Justinian and her role in the empire made her a significant woman in the history and the empress of one of the great civilizations of the world. She brought Justinian a stabilizing influence and helped him shaped his policies and became the foreground of every picture of the period. For all the long series of masterful empresses none is as astonishing and stunning as the consort of Justinian. This essay will analyze the dynamic of the marriage between Justinian and Theodora and it will argue the importance of this marriage for the strength of the Byzantine Empire.
In both Roman and Byzantine Empire, chariot racing was very popular and there were well developed associations of sports fans. There were four major factions of chariot racing and the color of the uniform represented the favorite racing team. Two major groups in this era were ...
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...s from the University of British Columbia and it gives a general sketch of the relationship between Justinian and Theodora .It summaries the general events and gives enough information about main incidents.
* Ure, P.N. 1951. Justinian and His Age. Boston: Penguin Books
The book gives valuable information about Justinian and his age. It covers Justinian's life, his reforms and every action he took. It gives information about the relationship between Justinian and Theodora and its effects on the Empire. It gives a vivid picture of the Byzantine Empire in Justinian's age. The writer of the book also included the writings of some important scholars such as J.B Bury, Norman Baynes and Gibbon's. However the writer of this book did not live to see it print it is a fact that he wrote a great book full of information, giving the reader detailed sketch of Justinian's Age.
nation. In order to become a true absolute ruler Louis xiv needed to make sure
was backward and would need to change in order for it to remain being a
Hill, Barbara. Imperial Women in Byzantium 1025-1204: Power, patronage and ideology. New York: Longman, 1999. Print.
This paper will discuss the well published work of, Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Schocken, 1975. Print. Sarah B. Pomerory uses this book to educate others about the role women have played throughout ancient history. Pomerory uses a timeline to go through each role, starting with mythological women, who were called Goddesses. She then talks about some common roles, the whores, wives, and slaves during this time. Pomerory enlightens the audience on the topic of women, who were seen as nothing at the time. Men were seen as the only crucial part in history; however, Pomerory’s focus on women portrays the era in a new light.
For the Greeks, Homer's Odyssey was much more than just an entertaining tale of gods, monsters, and men, it served as cultural paradigm from which every important role and relationship could be defined. This book, much more so than its counter part The Iliad, gives an eclectic view of the Achean's peacetime civilization. Through Odyssey, we gain an understanding of what is proper or improper in relationships between father and son, god and mortal, servant and master, guest and host, and--importantly--man and woman. Women play a vital role in the movement of this narrative. Unlike in The Iliad, where they are chiefly prizes to be won, bereft of identity, the women of Odyssey are unique in their personality, intentions, and relationship towards men. Yet, despite the fact that no two women in this epic are alike, each--through her vices or virtues-- helps to delineate the role of the ideal woman. Below, we will show the importance of Circe, Calypso, Nausicaa, Clytaemestra, and Penelope in terms of the movement of the narrative and in defining social roles for the Ancient Greeks.
3)Gwynn, David M. The Roman Republic: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2012. Print.
2. Procopius starts this document stating that Theodora is nothing more than a prostitute. He goes on to say that she was not of class or had any dignity, because she would perform on stage almost completely nude. Procopius portrays her as someone who is ruthless and will do whatever she needs to do to accomplish her goals. Justinian would fall in love with her, but was not allowed to marry her because of his social status, because
The Byzantine Empire was a primarily Christian empire whose reign started in 330 A.D and ended in 1453 A.D with the capturing of the its capital, Constantinople by the Muslim Sultan Mehmed II. In the years following the fall of the Byzantines, many of the Christian basilicas were transformed into mosques for Islamic worship, inspiring many artists to create works that embodied their religious politics. One of the pieces created following the fall of the Byzantine Empire is the painting of Yusuf Fleeing Zulayhka, created in 1488 by Kamal al-Din Bihzad, a famous Persian painter who worked under the patronage of several Persian sultans. The illustration depicts Yusuf’s struggle to escape his master’s wife Zulaykha as she chases him through her elaborate palace in an attempt to seduce him. The representation was made using paint, ink and gold, and features jewel-like colors in order to portray the extravagancy of the palace Zulayhka has built specifically for the seduction of Yusuf (Stokstad 286). This essay will assess three accounts of the story of Yusuf and Zulaykha and the reasoning behind why the narrative is often labelled as a cautionary tale and of what kind.
In 522 AD, Justinian met a former actress. Her name was Theodora, and she had given up her original career after becoming a Christian, beginning to make a living spinning wool instead. At the...
In Titus Livius’, The Early History of Rome, Livy takes on the task of documenting Rome’s early history and some of the famous individuals who help contribute to the ‘greatness’ of Rome. Livy dedicates an entire portion of his writing to describe the reigns of the first seven kings of Rome; all who influence the formation and governance of Rome in some way. However, of the seven kings in early Roman history, King Romulus and King Numa Pompilius achieved godlike worship and high esteem from their fellow Romans. While both highly important and respected figures in Rome’s history, the personalities and achievements of King Romulus and King Numa Pompilius are complete opposites of one another. Despite the differences found in each king and of their rule over Rome, both Romulus and Numa Pompilius have a tremendous influence in the prosperity and expansion of Rome in its early days.
Sextus Pomponius – Enchiridium, 2nd century AD – partly preserved in the Digest of Justinian: Alan Watson, The Digest of Justinian, Volume 1, University of Pennsylvania Press (2011)
Beauty is possessed by many, nevertheless, in the third century, a woman gave a whole different meaning to beauty and power. She was known as Queen Zenobia, the third-century queen of Palmyra. The city of Palmyra is located in modern-day Syria and in the Greek translation Palmyra derived from the word “Tadmor” which means "palm tree”. This paper examines the life of Queen Zenobia, her success as well as her failures. Born in Palmyra in the early 240 CE, Zenobia was given the name Julia Aurelia Zenobia. Zenobia was described as being tall and beautiful with dark eyes, and dark complexion. She was half-Greek and half-Arab and claimed to be a descended of Cleopatra. In Hypatia's Heritage, Margaret Alic stated that
They begin by telling the history of how Caligula’s great uncle Tiberius was chosen to reign after the passing of Augustus, the great grandfather of Caligula. An account of Caligula’s family me...
Byzantine art had many basic characteristics. The first was expressionistic using color and emotion. Many of the are lacked depth in a two dimensional fashion. The art was symbolic in nature, decorative, detailed. The figures are stiff and ...
Grant, Michael. From Alexander to Cleopatra: The Hellenistic World. New York: Micheal Grant Publications Ltd, 1982.