MooreKristiHIST111ShortPaper

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.

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.

In Western Civilization there have been a few incredible people and events that would have an absolutely unbelievable effect on their current events and the future. Some of these people and events include Martin Luther and the Reformation, Elizabeth I, the American Revolution, Henry the VIII and Napoleon Bonaparte. They would create a lasting effect in not only their countries but also the world as well.

Agrippina the Younger is described to be well educated and aware of her potentially important place

The move from the Republic system to the principate, an autocratic system of government, meant the roles and status of main groups and genders of society would inevitably change. Specifically we see the traditional role of women change, going from the traditional ‘matrona’ to an independent imperial woman with a broadened influence over the state. Agrippina the younger is exemplary of this change and is viewed as one of the most influential women of her time. Ancient sources are hostile towards this ‘power hungry’ figure however modern revisionists give a deeper insight into the woman behind the hostile accounts. Nether less both ancient and modern sources agree Agrippina had a

Furthermore, Justinian and Theodora's rule reinforces the political aspect and appeal of religion for Byzantine emperors. Theodora was a fervent monophysite christian and Justian himself was a strong supporter of the Chalcedon council. Yet, the way with which it seems that they simply 'agreed to disagree' actually had quite some positive political consequences; the extent to which these were planned is of course debatable. Indeed, Justinian had military ambitions in the Eastern empire and in North Africa where large patches of monophysites remained therefore this situation where Theodora secretly supported monophysites and he did not accept them without at the same time openly persecuting them was quite suitable. The support of monophysites was

This essay will examine documents about the woman in Rome and their position politically, socially, and religiously. Woman began to receive more rights and are recognized as equals as time progresses in Rome.

Throughout history, there have been many people that have made an impact on the world today. Many of these individuals are well known while others are not spoken of as much. There is one person whom I think stands out the most for women. That person would be Sojourner Truth. During the year of 1797 Sojourner Truth was an African American woman who lived during the nineteenth century. Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree to the proud parents, James and Elizabeth Baumfree; she was born in a town called Esopus, NY. She died November 26, 1883 at the age of eight six at her home in Battle Creek, Michigan, leaving behind her five children. Unfortunately Truth was born into slavery; she was constantly traded between slave owners. Truth was later freed from slavery where she was forced to leave behind her husband, Thomas, and four of their children due to slavery. Over the many years that Truth was in slavery she was treated cruel and harsh. Although Truth faced many obstacles, that did not stop her. Truth worked really hard to make a huge difference in the world today. Sojourner Truth is known by many because she fought for the civil rights of others, and she used her knowledge to help inspire other slaves and women.

Christine’s virtue comes from God and manifests itself through morally virtuous characteristics. This can be seen in the example of Valentina Visconti, the duchess of Orleans, who Christine describes as, “A lady who is strong and constant in heart, filled with devotion to her lord and good teaching for her children, well-informed in government, just toward all, sensible in her conduct, and virtuous in all things” (213). Christine places the highest value on leaders who lead by example. Christine devotes a large section of the City of Ladies to martyrs, saying of them “women who are crowned in glory and whose fair lives serve as excellent examples for every woman above all other wisdom. For this reason these women are the most outstanding of our City” (219).

This investigation strives to compare and contrast of the role of women during the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages. The inquiry is significant because in order to understand the culture and ethics of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages it is crucial to understand the importance of women. The issues that will be addressed include: the role of women in the Roman Empire, the role of women in the Middle Ages, and the similarities as well as the differences of the two major time periods. This investigation will focus on the time period of 27 BC to 1485 BC and the places investigated will include Europe, more specifically Rome. This will be accomplished through a detailed examination of the role of women in the

In Sarah B. Pomeroy's influential monograph, Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity (1976), it is pointed out that in the past, when scholars have considered the quality of life for women in classical Athens, they have often subjectively selected the type of evidence to use for their argument. She argues that `optimists,' who are of the opinion that women enjoyed a comparatively liberated lifestyle, focus upon the prominent role that women play within art and drama. `Pessismists,' on the other hand, base their ideas upon Athenian laws and the writings of orators and moralists (Pomeroy: 1976; Just: 1989). The evidence that we have available regarding women `relate to different levels of reality' (Humphreys: 1983; Just: 1989), therefore the sources pertain to different aspects of women's lives and need to be pieced together to provide a clear picture.

The ancient world was a patriarchal society where women were considered subordinate to men. Rarely were women independent or powerful in their own right. Despite this oppression, several women fulfilled powerful roles; including Hatshepsut - a successful Egyptian monarch (1508 – 1458 BC), Cleopatra - the last pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty (69 – 30 BC) and the empress Agrippina the Younger (15 – 59 AD). Agrippina gained remarkable influence as sister of Caligula, wife of Claudius and mother of Nero; successive emperors of the Roman Principate. Agrippina’s unprecedented position of authority has resulted in her representation as an overbearing mother obsessed with achieving imperial ambition through her son.

During the year 535, Justinian overthrew the Ostrogothic Kingdom, which had occupied Italy after the split and decline of the Roman Empire. Justinian was said to be the most ambitious emperor since Constantine, whose rule ended in 337. His goal in overthrowing the Ostrogothic Kingdom was to eventually reunify the Roman Empire. Belisarius, Justinian’s general, had already

In Athens, women had very little rights. Womens fathers were the ones who got to choose whom they married, and that caused trouble for the lovers. Hermia’s father, Egeus, strongly believed in this rule. At the beginning, Egeus decides that he wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, which is good for Demetrius but bad for Hermia. Hermia, daringly refuses her father’s wishes, so they seek the help of Theseus, the Duke of Athens. Theseus listens to their situation, and being the authority in the situation, tells Hermia: “Either to die the death, or to abjure for the society of men. Therefore, fair Hermia,... if you yield not to your father’s choice, you can endure the livery of a nun...”(24). This shows how authority, in this case the law, gets in the way of “the course of true love…”(28). Egeus’s decision to have Hermia marry Demetrius does not only affect Hermia but also affects Helena. When Hermia’s father chooses Demetris to be her

It came to pass, the masters of this sort decided to go to Rome for business or rather for sport. On their visit they stayed at the nearest inn. During their stay in Rome the Syrian traders came to know about the incredible beauty of Constance, the daughter of Roman Emperor Tiberius Constantinus. (141)