Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women before 1400

Description

Throughout history, women have played integral roles in family, society, religion, government, war—in short, in all aspects of human civilization. Powerful women have shaped laws, led rebellions, and played key roles in dynastic struggles. Some were caught up in forces beyond their control, while others manipulated and murdered their way to the top. However, unearthing their stories from the historical record has been a challenge, with the ordinary difficulties of preserving information across the generations increased by centuries of historical bias and gendered expectations. Women, when they were mentioned at all, often filled the role of virtuous maiden, self-effacing mother, or seductive villain. Imagine what you are missing when only half the story is being told. Professor Biography......Page 3 Table of Contents......Page 4 Course Scope......Page 7 1• Julia Disobeys Emperor Augustus......Page 10 Julia the Elder......Page 12 Moral Legislation......Page 14 Trouble at Home......Page 16 2• Herodias Has John the Baptist Beheaded......Page 20 Relations with Rome......Page 22 Reform Movements within Judaism......Page 25 Herodias’s Fatal Ambition......Page 28 3• The Trung Sisters of Vietnam Fight the Han......Page 30 The Red River Delta......Page 32 A Clash of Cultures......Page 33 Trung Sisters: Symbols of Freedom......Page 36 4• Boudicca Attacks the Romans......Page 40 Tribal Life versus Roman Life......Page 42 Crisis of the Iceni......Page 45 5• Poppaea Helps Nero Persecute Christians......Page 50 Poppaea’s Rise in Rome......Page 52 The Jewish Community in Rome......Page 55 The Executions of Christians......Page 57 6• Plotina Advises Emperor Trajan......Page 60 Plotina’s Influence......Page 62 Plotina’s Ethical Standards......Page 64 The Steady Spread of Christianity......Page 66 Trajan’s Wars......Page 67 7• Perpetua Is Martyred in the Arena......Page 72 Political Fortunes of the Empire......Page 74 The Impact of Septimius’s Edict on Perpetua......Page 75 Perpetua’s Diary......Page 78 8• Julia Maesa Controls an Unusual Emperor......Page 82 A Family of Syrian Women......Page 84 The Most Improbable Scheme......Page 86 Elagabalus’s Reign......Page 87 The End of the Severan Dynasty......Page 90 9• Zenobia Battles the Roman Legions......Page 92 The Ancient City of Palmyra......Page 94 Zenobia’s Rise to Power......Page 96 Zenobia’s Rule......Page 98 10• Helena Brings Christianity Down to Earth......Page 102 Helena and Constantius......Page 104 Diocletian’s Persecution of Christians......Page 106 Helena’s Role in Shaping the Church......Page 108 11• Galla Placidia Supports the Visigoths......Page 112 The Goths......Page 114 Placidia’s Advice......Page 117 The Visigothic Kingdom of Spain......Page 119 12• Hypatia Dies for Intellectual Freedom......Page 122 Hypatia’s Reputation for Wisdom......Page 124 Neoplatonism and Christianity......Page 125 Synesius’s Letters to Hypatia......Page 127 The Old Order versus the New......Page 129 13• Pulcheria Defends the Virgin Mary......Page 132 How Pulcheria Took Power......Page 134 Pulcheria’s Influence on Religion......Page 136 Pulcheria’s Vindication of the Virgin Mary......Page 139 14• Theodora Rises from Dancer to Empress......Page 142 Chariot Races: The Greens versus the Blues......Page 144 Emperor Justinian and His Empress......Page 146 The Nika Revolt......Page 147 Legal Reforms and Building Programs......Page 148 Reconquering Old Western Provinces......Page 150 15• Radegund Founds a Convent......Page 152 The Merciless Merovingians......Page 154 Radegund’s Escape......Page 157 Radegund’s Relic Hunt......Page 159 16• Aisha Helps Shape Islam......Page 162 Building Alliances through Marriage......Page 164 Muhammad’s Favorite Wife......Page 167 Political Struggles: Sunni versus Shi’a......Page 168 The Battle of the Camel......Page 171 17• Wu Zetian Rules China......Page 174 The Carefully Ordered Concubines......Page 176 Laws and Reforms That Shaped the Tang Dynasty......Page 178 Actions Taken as a Female Ruler......Page 180 The Spread of Buddhism into China......Page 181 Wu’s Solo Rule......Page 182 18• Kahina Defends North Africa against Muslims......Page 186 The Wild Setting That Produced Kahina......Page 188 Kahina’s Tribal Leadership......Page 189 Muslim Invasion......Page 190 19• Dhuoda Chronicles a Carolingian Life......Page 198 Dhuoda’s Secluded Life......Page 200 The Court of Louis the Pious......Page 202 Dhuoda’s Manual......Page 203 Dividing the Carolingian Empire along Cultural Lines......Page 207 20• Elfrida Rules Anglo-Saxon England......Page 210 Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms......Page 212 The Rise of King Edgar......Page 213 The Royal Couple’s Major Reforms......Page 214 Heirs to the Throne......Page 217 21• Freydis Journeys to North America......Page 220 The Fortunes of the Family of Erik the Red......Page 222 Leif’s Voyages West......Page 223 Thorvald and the Natives......Page 225 Freydis’s New World Adventures......Page 227 22• Lubna of Córdoba Masters Mathematics......Page 230 The Great City of Córdoba......Page 232 The New Caliph......Page 233 Lubna’s Influence on Mathematics......Page 236 The End of the Intellectual Center......Page 238 23• Lady Murasaki Writes the First Novel......Page 240 The Rise of the Samurai......Page 242 The Court of the Japanese Emperor......Page 245 Beauty in Poetry and Handwriting......Page 246 24• Anna Brings Christianity to Russia......Page 250 A Princess Born in the Purple......Page 252 The State of Religion in Kiev......Page 253 Anna’s Christianization of Russia......Page 256 25• Anna Comnena Writes a Byzantine History......Page 260 Anna, the Historian......Page 262 The First Crusade......Page 263 26• Eleanor of Aquitaine Goes on Crusade......Page 272 Eleanor and Louis VII......Page 274 The Second Crusade......Page 275 A Series of Disasters......Page 277 Disaster in the Household of Raymond......Page 279 The Disastrous End of the Crusade......Page 281 27• Marie of Champagne Promotes Romantic Love......Page 284 A New View of Love......Page 286 The Romantic Love Tradition under Marie’s Patronage......Page 289 From the Romantic Love Tradition to Religion......Page 291 28• Heloise Embraces the New Philosophy......Page 294 Heloise’s Education......Page 296 A Disastrous Affair......Page 297 Later Correspondence......Page 301 29• Hildegard Revolutionizes Traditional Medicine......Page 304 Hildegard’s Rise to Abbess......Page 306 Hildegard’s Achievements in Many Fields......Page 307 Hildegard’s Medical Writings......Page 309 Hildegard’s Long-Term Influence......Page 312 30• Razia Rules Muslim India......Page 314 Rise of Mamluk Slaves......Page 316 Reconciling Islam and Hinduism......Page 318 Results of Razia’s Rule......Page 321 31• Sorkhakhtani Administers a Mongol Empire......Page 324 The Rise of the Powerful Mongol Empire......Page 326 The Silk Road......Page 327 Overcoming Illiteracy and Religious Diversity......Page 328 Sorkhakhtani’s Survival......Page 330 32• Licoricia Deals with the King of England......Page 334 How the Jews Fit into the New Economy......Page 336 Moneylending and Debt......Page 337 The Widow Licoricia......Page 338 Licoricia’s Close Relationship with King Henry......Page 339 King Edward’s Restrictive Laws......Page 341 33• Abutsu Follows the Way of Poetry......Page 344 Confucianism and Buddhism in Japan......Page 346 The Court of Kyoto......Page 348 The Way of Poetry......Page 349 Abutsu’s Famous Diary and Lawsuit......Page 352 34• Brigitta Speaks to God and the Pope......Page 354 The Great Famine......Page 356 The Avignon Papacy......Page 357 Pilgrimage to Spain......Page 358 Messages from God......Page 360 35• Joan of Arc Dies for France......Page 364 Joan’s Visions......Page 366 Charles’s Coronation......Page 369 The Inquisition......Page 371 36• Christine of Pisan Defends Women......Page 374 Christine of Pisan......Page 376 Christine’s New Career......Page 378 Political Vision......Page 380 Writings on Women......Page 381 Bibliography......Page 384 Image Credits......Page 394