Empresses of Late Byzantium : Foreign Brides, Mediators and Pious Women

La 4e de couverture indique : "With the exception of the wife of Andronikos III Palaiologos, Anna of Savoy, who acted as regent of Byzantium from 1341 to 1347, the lives of the late Byzantine empresses have so far received little scholarly attention. This study presents the biographies of all fifteen empresses of the Palaiologan dynasty and, based on their experiences, follows the development of the role and position of an empress in the last centuries of the empire. The final analysis considers the selection process for imperial brides and the rituals accompanying their arrival in Constantinople. The author also inquires into their role in public, ritual, and ecclesiastical life and their most important social roles at various stages of life." Cover Copyright information Foreword Acknowledgments Contents List of Abbreviations Maps Introduction 01 Briefly on the sources 02 The state of existing research 03 A note on methodology 04 A brief overview of the history of the empire 05 Anna, Eirene, Maria and Helene – but which one? Part 1: The Lives I Theodora Doukaina Palaiologina: Mother of the Palaiologan Dynasty Introduction ‘A man of secret designs’100 ‘The most pious empress’ Empress of Byzantium The Arsenite controversy150 Theodora and her daughters’ weddings Theodora’s charity to monastic houses in Asia Minor Theodora in imperial images The controversy surrounding the Union of Lyons (1274)181 The imperial widow and her Confession of Faith The widowed mother The patroness Collector of sacred relics Founder of monasteries A mausoleum for the Palaiologan family The nun Eugenia Death II Anna of Hungary: The Beloved Augusta Historical background308 Anna’s early years Anna in Byzantium The co-empress The miracle of St. Euphrosyne the Younger Anna and the Prodromos Monastery on Mount Menoikeion In Asia Minor Death concealed III Eirene-Yolanda of Montferrat: Mère Politicienne378 Introduction The young empress Saint Euphrosyne, a child, and the coronation Asia Minor Strife and coronations Eirene and the Arsenites The wedding of Simonis Eirene and the marriage of her son John Thessalonike: independent court or honorable exile? The vacated throne of Montferrat The patriarchal initiative Demetrios, Theodore, and the affair of the Serbian throne Protectress of Thessalonike or dangerous traitor? The failed return to Constantinople Supporter of monasteries Death at Drama IV Maria-Rita of Armenia: An Empress Surrounded by Death Introduction The family and childhood of the Armenian princess An emergency conversion and marriage Between Byzantium and Lesser Armenia The empress and the brigand Maria and the Orthodox Church596 Loss and the taking of the veil Maria and the First Civil War Maria’s support of Andronikos III in the final phase of the war The chancery of Empress Maria Ambassador for peace Uncertain times: Andronikos’s illness and the adoption of Syrgiannes Death V The Lonely Empress: Eirene-Adelheid (of Braunschweig-Grubenhagen) Introduction Consort of the heir to the throne Eirene and the First Civil War Eirene’s final years Illness and death VI Anna of Savoy: Nemesis or Savior? Introduction Illness Jealousy, mistrust or gratefulness? The empress and the Kantakouzenos family Caught between the pope and the emperor Portent of death Anna’s family The Hodegon drama Advisors or supervisors? (1341–1344)770 The changing tide (1344–1346) Anna and the Palamite struggle Reconciliation with Kantakouzenos Embassy to the Serbs Mission accomplished The lady of Thessalonike Anna’s demise VII Eirene Asenina Kantakouzene: An Empress ‘of Great Sense and Understanding’ Introduction Eirene’s first mission Ascension to power The Second Civil War (1341–1347) Governor of Didymoteichon Coronation in Adrianople The wedding of Eirene’s daughter Theodora Coronation in Constantinople Eirene’s negotiations with her son Matthew Eirene and the Palamite controversy Maria Light Mass Governor of Constantinople Mission to her son-in-law The downfall of the Kantakouzenos dynasty The Zeianos plot The journey to the Peloponnese Death VIII Helene Palaiologina: Caught Between Fate and Family Early years Marrying the enemy Marriage, vying for the throne, and the Serbian proposal From Constantinople to Didymoteichon, Tenedos, and Thessalonike – and back again Helene and the Palamite Controversy Securing John’s freedom Negotiations with Rome and John V’s conversion1147 The learned empress-patroness1155 Empress-mother or empress-philosopher? The curse of the Palaiologans Hypomone IX Eirene Palaiologina: The Captive Empress Introduction Wedding in Thessalonike Marriage and civil war Ascent to the throne No new dynasty for Byzantium Death concealed X Maria of Bulgaria: The Itinerant Empress Introduction The child bride Blinding of husband and son From the Ottoman court to the throne in Constantinople Besieged in Galata and widowed in Selymbria Two more journeys Empress of Constantinople XI Helene Dragaš: Mother of the Last Byzantine Emperors Introduction The Serbian bride Imperial wedding and coronation Mother of a large family Death of her father and mother-in-law The long wait in the Peloponnese Final years of marriage The dowager empress Helene in the memory of her subjects Whose seal and charity? XII Eirene Gattilusio: The Widowed Empress Introduction ‘Eugenia’ or ‘Eirene’? Marriage to John VII Empress of Constantinople Transience: Lemnos, Lesbos, and Thessalonike The veil XIII Anna of Moscow: The Child Empress The princess from the far northeast The brief Bosphorus years XIV Sophia of Montferrat: The Ill-Favored Empress Introduction The uncomely bride The unloved wife XV Maria Komnene Kantakouzene Palaiologina: The Last Crowned Empress of Byzantium Introduction The last empress of Byzantium Outside the palace The message of the comet The nun Makaria? Part 2: Roles and Rituals XVI The Transformation: Becoming an Empress in Late Byzantium Personal merit versus advantage to the empire Negotiations Welcoming the bride1642 Proclamation1657 Change of confession Change of name Wedding the emperor (-to-be)1676 Coronation1693 XVII Courts and Rituals Introduction Symbols of feminine power: jewels and clothing Titles and names The ceremonial role of the late Byzantine empresses: potpourri1822 The four courts of the despoina Several courts, one empire XVIII Power and Public Life Introduction No great female autocrats for late Byzantium Empresses and direct rule Wise adviser, watchful eye, helping hand, and loyal mouthpiece Administrators XIX Piety and Orthodoxy Introduction The Synodikon of Orthodoxy: the measuring rod of piety Impoverished or indifferent? Late Byzantine empresses and their foundations Empress-nuns in late Byzantium Empresses and the Orthodox Church XX Seasons of Life Hidden in the haze: childhood and youth Imperial marriage: cage or bridge to power?2018 Mothers of daughters and mothers of sons2024 Retreating into the shadows: widowhood and death2037 Death2043 Epilogue Glossary Bibliography General Index "With the exception of the wife of Andronikos III Palaiologos, Anna of Savoy, who acted as regent of Byzantium from 1341 to 1347, the lives of the late Byzantine empresses have so far received little scholarly attention. This study presents the biographies of all fifteen empresses of the Palaiologan dynasty and, based on their experiences, follows the development of the role and position of an empress in the last centuries of the empire. The final analysis considers the selection process for imperial brides and the rituals accompanying their arrival in Constantinople. The author also inquires into their role in public, ritual, and ecclesiastical life and their most important social roles at various stages of life."-- Publisher's webite The Study Presents The Biographies Of Fifteen Empresses In The Period From 1261 To 1450. It Also Considers The Selection Of Imperial Brides And The Rituals Accompanying Their Arrival In Constantinople. Finally, The Author Inquires Into These Women's Contributions To Public, Ritual, And Ecclesiastical Life And Reflects On The Seasons Of Their Lives.