Description
Judith Herrin's book not only illuminates the lives and significance of three medieval Byzantine empresses who are scarcely known outside of the field, but she uses their lives to bring this entire period as well as its history and general significance to life. Through these three extraordinary women, Herrin will introduce a wide public to this important yet neglected period. It is time for a new Byzantium to emerge, and this book is a very good step in that direction. -- Susanna Elm, University of California, Berkeley
About the Author
Judith Herrin is Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine Studies and Director of the Centre for Hellenic Studies at King's College London. Her books include "The Formation of Christendom" (Princeton) and "A Medieval Miscellany: The Medieval World in Its Own Words".
Reviews
Judith Herrin, Winner of the 2016 Dr A.H. Heineken Prize, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences "[Herrin] has succeeded in writing a scholarly study [that] opens up a new perspective on a vital period of Byzantine history, [and] one that is eminently accessible to a wider public. It is also superbly illustrated."--Michael Angold, Times Literary Supplement "A work of remarkable scholarship... Throughout her book, the author explains the court intrigues and theological debates with outstanding clarity."--Bart McDowell, WashingtonTimes "Herrin's study provides important glimpses into medieval history as well as the daily lives and rituals of Byzantine imperial women... [Her] book is the most accessible of the few currently available on this topic."--Publishers Weekly "Throughout history, the dynastic and political role of ruler has been the prerogative of men, with some notable exceptions. In medieval Byzantium, there were three such rarities: Irene, Euphrosyne and Theodora. Gaining considerable power as emperors' wives, they continued to wield authority as widows and helped alter what is now a singular aspect of Byzantine culture its iconography. Reversing the ban on holy images that was fashionable at the time, they helped restore icons to a prominent position in Eastern Christian worship."--The Washington Post Book World "Herrin traces the lives of three Byzantine empresses of the late eighth and early ninth centuries... [She] deals with the contradictions inherent in being a female ruler and the ways in which the three women used and manipulated the structures and symbols of Byzantine power... The book is lightly footnoted, has an excellent discussion of the problems of finding sources about women during this period, and is written in a clear style accessible to general readers interested in historical biography."--Choice
Book Information
ISBN 9780691117805
Author Judith Herrin
Format Paperback
Page Count 312
Imprint Princeton University Press
Publisher Princeton University Press
Weight(grams) 454g