Contextualizing gender in XII century Byzantine discourse: Women and power in Ioannes Zonaras’ epitome historiarum

Abstract

The paper investigates Ioannes Zonaras’ Epitome Historiarum, a Byzantine XII century world chronicle for normative conceptions of gender in Byzantium. The article explores two gender-appropriate women’s roles in Byzantine society. It focuses on the behaviors, activities, and attributes attached to and prescribed for the widows and mothers to reiterate the patriarchal social structures. Also, this research intends to uncover the interplay between text and language through crucial gender signifiers, which influenced the balance of social and political power in the Medieval Roman Empire.

Keywords

• byzantine gender
• widowhood
• motherhood
• ioannes zonaras
• byzantine sexuality
• sophrosyne