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.
Author(s): Joyce E. Salisbury
Series: The Great Courses
Publisher: The Teaching Company
Year: 2019-07
Language: English
Pages: 397
Tags: Civilization, Culture
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
