The Byzantine state was a state of pious reverence for the divine and shocking examples of hypocrisy. For example, we have a state that claims that it is devoted to charity and at the same times has policies that result in people having their noses cut off or blinded. Despite this, the Byzantine Empire showed how the Empire was being changed by the philosophy and belief system of Christianity. Gone were the days of Gladiatorial games and the plethora of temples devoted to unhearing gods. The Byzantine state was an empire that was devoted to the teachings of Christ and spreading his teachings in a sinful world that humans lived in. Because of this, the Byzantine woman saw many changes that would affect her ability to live in a patriarchal society.
The Roman woman who preceded the Byzantine Woman was still confined to the traditional views of womanhood. The pagan Romans had their own ideals of modesty and virtue though it was not emphasized as much as in Christianity. Unlike the Ancient Greeks, the Roman woman had the ability to own their own property, which was an especially important distinction. Furthermore, one of the more interesting aspects of Roman womanhood is that they were not expected to be cloistered in a section of the house. The Greek ideal of a woman staying at home in a section of the house, not going out without male oversight or permission would remerge in the Byzantine state.
The Roman pagan pantheon was filled with gods and goddesses who were not particularly moral figures. They were more akin to soap opera characters than being people who you would want to emulate. For example, look at the myths surrounding Hera and Zeus. In each of these days, we can see how Zeus is a philander while Hera takes her revenge on the unlucky maidens who happened to have an affair with the main god of the Olympians. Hera is shown as a vengeful woman and not worth trying to emulate. Even goddesses like Athena, the patron god of the city of Athens, were getting involved in the nitty gritty of human affairs. They could not be saints at all. They were far from it. Another goddess Aphrodite was incredibly jealous and had lots of avarice. Unlike what was to come in Christianity, these gods were not paragons that would teach important lessons to the faithful who came to their temples.
In comparison, the Byzantine woman had many important saints that would serve as important figures in their lives. For example, they had the important figure of Mary Magdalene that was praised by many theologians. Another important figure was the Saint Mary herself, who was somewhat of a patron saint of the city of Constantinople. However, not all was good for the women of the Byzantine Empire. Due to the events in Genesis, women, while respected for their part in spreading Christianity, were often attacked for being members of a sex that was responsible for the fall of mankind from his state of innocence. This meant that the old Roman emphasis on modesty were emphasized even more under the Byzantine state.
Despite this, the woman in Byzantine thought was probably more respected than she had been in the days of the Ancient Roman pagan belief system. Despite being an active agent in the propagation of sin, women were also seen as important players in building an Empire that would reflect the values of Christ. An entire industry grew up in the Byzantine Empire, one of charity. This is one of the biggest changes to the whole society. Charity was now seen as important part of one’s life; women played a big role in shaping the whole culture of charity in the Byzantine Empire. Those who had money and enough clout were responsible for the building of many churches and monasteries across the entire Empire. Unlike in the pagan system, the act of charity was important sign of how pious one was. In a society as religious as the Byzantine Empire, there was an important need to help those who needed help.
The act of being sent to a monastery is probably one of the best examples of how Christianity influenced the thinking of the Byzantines. Of course, exile was not a new thing in the toolbox of powerful rulers. In Ancient Greece, ostracism was used on people deemed as threats to the social order or political enemies. The Ancient Romans were also familiar with the usage of exile; Augustus exiled the famous writer Ovid and even his own daughter, Julia to islands. However, this concept of political exile became more important in the Byzantine Empire. Monasteries and Convents became important dumping grounds for political rivals. In the ethical system of the time, proceeding with such an act was an act of mercy. This is quite different from how the Romans would generally handle their own political affairs, with acts of blood sport in their own arenas. One famous example of monastic exile is that of Constantine IX, who was sent packing to a monastery by a jealous emperor who saw him as a threat to his own ambitions. Women were generally not free from being sent to convent as punishment. Indeed, this was what some rich families did to their own daughters. They would have their daughters sent to a convent where they would be cloistered for the rest of their lives. Such was the predicament that a daughter in the Byzantine Empire had to deal with.
However, monastic exile was largely confined to the upper classes. They had the money and the resources to be able to send off their daughters to far away convents. However, for the lower classes, life continued as usual. For most of the population, land-holding peasants, Christianity did not significantly change the way that women lived their lives. They still had to work on the family farm, taking care of children and working in the many stores that dotted the urban environment of the Byzantine state.
Overall, Christianity expanded the role of women in society in some ways and in others confined it more towards traditional ways of thinking. This shows that our ancestors were not black and white in their thinking.
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