Byzantine Empire
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What did Justinian & Theodora do?
Justinian was a strong ruler that was in power from 527 to 565. He controlled the military, established laws, and was the supreme judge. Justinian's wife was named Theodora and she aided him in running the empire. She was persistent and very intelligent, so she helped Justinian with many decisions. Theodora also talked him into giving women more rights, so Byzantine women were eventually able to own land. When angry taxpayers attempted to take Justinian's throne in 532, Theodora convinced him to stay and fight. As a result, he crushed the rebellion.
What role did women play?
Byzantine women did not have a large roll. During this time, family was of great importance. They weren't encouraged to be independent and were expected to stay home and take care of their families. However, Justinian's wife, Theodora helped change this. Women soon began to be educated, served in politics, and even served as regents. A regent is a person that steps in and rules for someone who is too young or ill to do it themselves.
Why was education important?
In the Byzantine empire, educated people were very respected. In schools, Byzantine boys were taught religion, medicine, law, arithmetic, grammar, and many other things. However, the girls did not attend school. They were taught at home and learned basic household skills. In that time, wealthy people would hire tutors to come and teach their children instead of sending them to school. Byzantine writers were very important during this time. They mainly wrote about religion and the importance of obeying God to save their souls. If it weren't for these writers, we would not have writings of ancient Greeks and Romans. So, without them, works of the ancient world would have been lost forever.