A Glance on the Powerful Women in Byzantine Empire: The Life and Ideology of the Empress Theophano (941– after 978)

Document Type : Original Article

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The Hellenic Open University, Athens, Greece

Abstract

In this paper, we present the life and the character of Theophano, the mother of Basil II Porphyrogenitus, the Macedonian. Some women made spectacular progress up the social ladder by marrying into higher-class families, even sometimes into the imperial family itself, and becoming empresses as Theophano did. So, social advancement could be achieved through marriage. The power and privileges of an imperial spouse were directly dependent on the emperor. Did it have a catalytic role in the life of Theophano? Through her life, we will examine women’s position in the Byzantine Empire. It will be searched if there was any discrimination among women according to their classes and if Byzantine society faced the same way vicious life of an imperial woman and of a poor one. What was the position of the Christian Church for women? Had Church Fathers forgiven rich and powerful women and had they condemned poor women from lower social class? All these questions are going to be answered through the life and the actions of Theophano, a woman who managed to become the daughter of a poor tavern keeper, to become the Empress and one of the most powerful and vicious women in Byzantine history.

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