Representations of Early Byzantine Empresses

Download or read book Representations of Early Byzantine Empresses written by A. McClanan and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-04-30 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reconsiders a wide array of images of Byzantine empresses on media as diverse as bronze coins and gold mosaic from the fifth through to the seventh centuries A.D. The representations have often been viewed in terms of individual personas, but strong typological currents frame their medieval context. Empress Theodora, the target of political pornography, has consumed the bulk of past interest, but even her representations fit these patterns. Methodological tools from fields as disparate as numismatics as well as cultural and gender studies help clarify the broader cultural significance of female imperial representation and patronage at this time.