by Yara Doleh

Created on: May 18, 2010   Last Updated: October 18, 2010

Women’s Rights during the Byzantine Period

“When women’s true history shall have been written, her part in the upbuilding of this nation will astound the world” Abigail Dunaway.       

            Noting the fact how complex the issue of women’s rights has always been throughout history, in this particular article, I will be dealing with women’s rights during the Byzantine period; a time that has always been a great piece of mystery in itself. And nowhere is this clearer than on the question of women’s rights and status, where in some part it is said that women played a major role in Byzantine greatness, and in other accounts it is said that they were not equal in the eyes of law.

            In spite the fact that during the Byzantine period only the poorest women could not read and write, the status of women was actually high and not only among the nobility.  Byzantine women had actually better protection of their rights by law in regard to property, divorce rights, and children. Women went to the university and there were women doctors and professionals. At court it was customary for male administrators to have wives with corresponding administrative responsibilities, complete with their own staffs. Ladies of the middle class who were not professionals were often active in religious foundations and hospitals. And as Constantinople was at the crossroads of the trade world, some Byzantine women were actually traders dealing with messengers from other different nations, like Arabs, Jews, Egyptians, and even Germans and Russians.

            Now, and before starting into the real details, let me walk you into a brief historical background. The Byzantine era, is the period that spreads within the timeline of 330 AD and 1453 AD. Emperor Constantine the Great was its founder and the one that transformed its capital from Rome to Constantinople (modern Istanbul-Turkey). The most important achievements of the period was the establishment of Christianity to the new empire, and the abolishing of paganism which was spread during the past Roman period. However, and in spite of its magnificence in history, architecture, and major other fields, it was somewhat overlooked, or not very much noticed except by historians, archaeologists

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