Women in the Byzantine World

 

Bibliography on women in Byzantium from Dumbarton Oaks. Excellent resource.

Holy Women of Byzantium ten lives of women saints, translated by Alice-Mary Talbot. excellent set of primary sources in pdf format.

Women Composers in Byzantium

The Secret History of Procopius he was nota big fan of Theodora. Go here to read the full text of his scathing remarks about this powerful Byzantine Empress, who began her career as an actress and who was also a monophysite.

Theodora, from www. roman-emperors.org

Justinian, Theodora and Procopius

Mosaics of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy nice little description and analysis of the mosaics, which depict Theodora holding the chalice.

The Empress Irene from Wikipedia. See also the article on Iconoclasm from the Catholic Encyclopedia.

Anna Comnena's Alexiad

Anna Comnena article from the Catholic Encyclopedia, which rather dismisses many of her contributions.

Chronographia of Michael Psellus contains accounts of the Empress Zoe and other important Byzantine figures. see book V for an account of the eleventh century empress Theodora; Book VI for Zoe and other women, and book VII for Eudocia.

Dr. Vess's Medieval Monasticism Web site contains quite a bit of information on women in the medieval world. See especially the pages on Eastern Monasticism for materials related to women in the Byzantine world.