Emotions and Gender in Byzantine Culture (New Approaches to Byzantine History and Culture)

"This book examines the gendered dimensions of emotions and the emotional aspects of gender within Byzantine culture and suggests possible readings of such instances. In so doing, the volume celebrates the current breadth of Byzantine gender studies while at the same time contributing to the emerging field of Byzantine emotion studies. It offers the reader an array of perspectives encompassing various sources and media, including historiography, hagiography, theological writings, epistolography, erotic literature, art objects, and illuminated manuscripts. The ten chapters cover a time span ranging from the early to the late Byzantine periods. This diversity is secured by an expanded and enriched exploration of the collection's unifying theme of gendered emotions. The scope and breadth of the chapters also reflect the ways in which Byzantine gender and emotion have been studied thus far, while at the same time offering novel approaches that challenge established opinions in Byzantine studies."-- Publisher's website Foreword Preface Contents Notes on Contributors Abbreviations List of Figures Part I Introduction Chapter 1 Towards an Approach to Gendered Emotions in Byzantine Culture: An Introduction Emotion and Gender: The State of Research Methodological Issues Structure of the Volume Chapters Part II The Gender of Grief Chapter 2 ‘Emotioning’ Gender: Plotting the Male and the Female in Byzantine Greek Passions and Lives of Holy Couples The Texts Andronikos and Athanasia Adrianos and Natalia Chapter 3 Pity and Lamentation in the Authorial Personae of John Kaminiates and Anna Komnene Chapter 4 Gendering Grief: Emotional Eunuchs—Consoling Constantine the Paphlagonian Introduction Eunuchs, Emotions, and Gender The Grief of Eutropius The Grief of Constantine the Paphlagonian Emotional Eunuchs: The Lessons of Eutropius and Constantine Part III Women and ‘Male’ Emotions Chapter 5 Empresses in Byzantine Society: Justifiably Angry or Simply Angry? The Deo coronata Aelia Eudoxia (395–404) The Empress Consort Theodora (527–548) The Empress Regnant Eirene (775–802) Conclusions Chapter 6 Emotions on Stage: The ‘Manly’ Woman Martyr in the Menologion of Basil II Absence of Emotions Fear Part IV Men, Women and Erotic Passion Chapter 7 Eros as Passion, Affection and Nature: Gendered Perceptions of Erotic Emotion in Byzantium Heightened Emotions: Theories of Passionate Love Controlled Emotions: Theories of Affectionate Love De-emotionalizing Eros: The Physiology of Love and the Theological Discourse Conclusions Chapter 8 ‘Weaver of Tales’: The Veroli Box and the Power of Eros in Byzantium The Questions Existing Scholarship A New Analysis Premises The Lid and the Two Short Sides The Long Side with Aphrodite and Ares The Long Side with the Sacrifice of Iphigeneia Conclusions Chapter 9 Stirring up Sundry Emotions in the Byzantine Illuminated Book: Reflections on the Female Body Conclusions Appendix: Illuminated Manuscripts Part V Conclusion Chapter 10 Gendered Emotions and Affective Genders: A Response Emotion(s) and Gender(s) ‘Doing’ Gender Through Emotions The Poetics of Gendered Emotionality Affective Gendered Audiences Future Research Index