Byzantine Empress Theodora

Not only did she develop a reputation for running the Principate (acknowledging, and avoiding Caligula’s mistakes), she controlled

Culture means nothing without the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Empire evolved Christianity, a modern day religion and art that pieced together our society and it’s cultural studies of the background behind it. It is significantly important that the Byzantine Empire is continued to being studied because of the drastic influence it implemented to unify modern day religions, modify political and military strategies, and benefit our education of the world today. With the government unification and architectural protection of the Byzantine Empire, strategic military defense and the Justinian code were both created.

follow. That was the first goal of icons. The second goal was to form an

The Byzantine Empire and Western Europe originally were part of the Roman Empire, but by the middle Ages(medieval times), they were very different, even though they did share some common traits, but by the 300's, the Byzantine Empire had far surpassed Western Europe in trade and economics and political unity, while both empires were having arguments over religion.

Theodora was the Empress of the Byzantine Empire from 527, when she was crowned, until her death in 548. Procopius was the appointed historian to record what was happening in the Empire, but mostly to focus on Theodora and Justinian. The Secret History was written by Procopius, but not published in the West until about a millennium after it was written. As it was ‘a venomous pamphlet of dubious merit’, The Secret History is hardly a reliable historical source. It criticises Justinian and Theodora for all of their actions as Emperor and Empress, as well as create a story, possibly based on nothing, about the origins of Theodora. While Procopius is considered a significant historian for the sixth century, it is notable that his treatment of Theodora is biased in an unfavourable way. Procopius adopts a perceptibly hostile attitude toward Theodora. Much of this bias against Theodora can be explained by Procopius’ view of women in power and gender roles.

People say that the Byzantine Empire is compared to an accordion. Well, it is. Comparing all of the civilizations and empires we learned about, I find that the Byzantine has a history, where people living in that empire rise at on time and fall inconsiderably during another time. The Byzantine Empire is an empire ruled by Emperor Justantine, and Constantinople was the imperial capital of the Byzantine world until it was invaded by the Turks in 1453. Now, how does the imperial capital, Constantinople, Hagia Sophia, Justinian, and the Crusaders involve in the Byzantine Empire? I find that geography and the achievements of the Empire can be two strong reasoning’s on how and why we should study the Byzantine Empire.

The development of christianity under the empire undoubtedly changed the relation between the political and spiritual spheres in following centuries. In fact, this transpires in how often emperors and empresses played dominant roles in the Eastern church after Constantine I's reign. In many

Theodora never forgot where her roots were. Not only did she allow friends from her past to stay at the palace, she arranged marriages with high class officials for them. Theodora did whatever she

The Byzantine Empire, seen as a direct continuation of the Roman Empire, lasted approximately from 500-1450 CE. This empire proved to be a valuable city for both the Greeks as well as the Romans. Throughout history, the Aegean Sea, the Bosphorus Strait, and Constantinople all impacted Roman history through constant trade and achievements. Other than trade, perfecting the oil industry, and the construction of aqueducts, conduits, and tunnels was other main achievements.

Throughout history women have often played a significant role. Although women haven’t usually been a position of power, they have nonetheless often contributed in significant ways. Two women who impacted their societies were Empress Theodora-of the Byzantine empire-and Queen Elizabeth I-of England. Empress Theodora-of the Byzantine Empire-impacted her Empire in many ways. Some of the ways she impacted her Empire was by delivering a powerful speech, by promoting women's rights, helping Justinian recover things after the Nika Revolt.

There is irrefutable evidence that over the period of the Middle Ages, both Christianity and Islam have been anchors in both shaping and influencing governance of kingdoms and empires comprising Western Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and territories ruled by Islam. Religion during this period was widely used to set laws, influence culture, justify armed conflicts, and pronounce punishment on citizens domiciled within the geographies depicted within this essay. I will attempt to illuminate the geopolitical climate, territorial demarcation, and religious influences that depicted life circa 500 – 1517 CE. From the background material submitted, I will directly answer the following questions:

While little is known about the queen due to the Roman sacking of the city, external historical accounts have surfaced, taking particular note of Zenobia’s ‘eccentric’ qualities. The ancient Byzantine historian Zosimus (cited in McKay, 2004, p.13) concludes from his observations of Zenobia that she, “had the boldness of a man.” This is representative of the dominant view shared by many of Zosimus’ contemporaries and the generally accepted view of Zenobia; that she embraced her more traditionally ‘masculine’ characteristics. By observing the various features of Zenobia’s upbringing, certain aspects may be the cause of her subversive reign. According to the Arabian account of Zenobia, Al-Tabari (cited in Mark, 2014, online) asserts that Zenobia, “….was placed in charge of the family flocks and shepherds from a young age.” From this, it may be suggested that Zenobia therefore became accustomed to having authority over men. This reflects the notion of Zenobia’s upbringing having a later effect on her reign, which was characterised by fervent dissidence. This could also have been prompted by Palmyrene culture, which Breytenbach (2005, p.4) describes as being characterised by warfare, commenting that, “The Palmyrenes were a warlike

Constantine the Great, first Christian Emperor, originator of Constantinople, creator of the Byzantine Empire, military conqueror, and honored saint, has been labeled by many the most instrumental emperor of the Roman Empire. Constantine played a crucial role in the development of Europe during the Middle Ages, and founded Christianity as the formal religion of the Roman Empire. His dynamic yet effective predominance laid the infrastructure of European development. From his humble beginnings, to his command of the Roman Empire, to his final days, Constantine’s impact on world history and Christianity has left behind an unforgettable legacy. He was described by Eusebius as “such an emperor as all history records

There is irrefutable evidence that over the period of the Middle Ages, both Christianity and Islam have been anchors in both shaping and influencing governance of kingdoms and empires comprising Western Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and territories ruled by Islam. Religion during this period was widely used to set laws, influence culture, justify armed conflicts, and pronounce punishment on citizens domiciled within the geographies depicted within this essay. I will attempt to illuminate the geopolitical climate, territorial demarcation, and religious influences that depicted life circa 500 – 1517 CE. From the background material submitted, I will directly answer the following questions:

Although these artworks can look completely different at first glance, they have many similarities. For example, all three artworks have one major figure, and portray an importance on that figure. Thutmose’s Nefertiti only has one subject, although that subject is wearing a huge crown to signify her importance. Victory Stele of Naram-Sin’s artist scales Naram-Sin by almost two times, compared to the rest of the figures, to show his importance. As well as giving him a helmet with two horns, unlike any other figure on the relief. He is also positioned closest to the stars, and is the major focal point. Empress Theodora’s artist gave Theodora a larger head dress and a halo to signify her importance. The artist also gave her gold details on her clothing and made her slightly higher than every other figure to continue emphasizing her importance. In general, although they are very different pieces, every artist successfully tells the viewer which figure is the most important.