Memoirs of a Byzantine Eunuch

Memoirs of a Byzantine Eunuch PDF Author: Christopher Harris
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 372

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Book Description
Captured and castrated as a boy, Zeno is sold into slavery in Constantinople. Bought by the greatest scholar of the age, he is soon drawn into a labyrinth of sex, heresy, murder and intrigue. Though the empire is threatened by a heretic uprising and a barbarian invasion, its rulers think only of themselves. In the cruel and glittering city of Constantinople, a ruthless general, a bisexual boy-emperor, a worldly patriarch, a peasant usurper and a half-Viking empress all vie for power. Unknown to them, the real power lies elsewhere, among the devious and decadent eunuchs of the palace. Zeno conspires, deceives, manipulates and murders, his divided loyalties leading him deeper into danger until he is forced to betray those he loves.

Memoirs of a Byzantine Eunuch

Memoirs of a Byzantine Eunuch PDF Author: Christopher Harris
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 372

Get Book Here

Book Description
Captured and castrated as a boy, Zeno is sold into slavery in Constantinople. Bought by the greatest scholar of the age, he is soon drawn into a labyrinth of sex, heresy, murder and intrigue. Though the empire is threatened by a heretic uprising and a barbarian invasion, its rulers think only of themselves. In the cruel and glittering city of Constantinople, a ruthless general, a bisexual boy-emperor, a worldly patriarch, a peasant usurper and a half-Viking empress all vie for power. Unknown to them, the real power lies elsewhere, among the devious and decadent eunuchs of the palace. Zeno conspires, deceives, manipulates and murders, his divided loyalties leading him deeper into danger until he is forced to betray those he loves.

The Eunuch in Byzantine History and Society

The Eunuch in Byzantine History and Society PDF Author: Shaun Tougher
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135235716
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
The existence of eunuchs was one of the defining features of the Byzantine Empire. Covering the whole span of the history of the empire, from the fourth to the fifteenth centuries AD, Shaun Tougher presents a comprehensive survey of the history and roles of eunuchs, making use of extensive comparative material, such as from China, Persia and the Ottoman Empire, as well as about castrato singers of the eighteenth century of Enlightenment Europe, and self-castrating religious devotees such as the Galli of ancient Rome, early Christians, the Skoptsy of Russia and the Hijras of India. The various roles played by eunuchs are examined. They are not just found as servile attendants; some were powerful political players – such as Chrysaphius who plotted to assassinate Attila the Hun – and others were prominent figures in Orthodoxy as bishops and monks. Furthermore, there is offered an analysis of how society thought about eunuchs, especially their gender identity - were they perceived as men, women, or a third sex? The broad survey of the political and social position of eunuchs in the Byzantine Empire is placed in the context of the history of the eunuch in general. An appendix listing key eunuchs of the Byzantine Empire describing their careers is included, and the text is fully illustrated.

Reading in the Byzantine Empire and Beyond

Reading in the Byzantine Empire and Beyond PDF Author: Teresa Shawcross
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781108406031
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 744

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Book Description
Offering a comprehensive introduction to the history of books, readers and reading in the Byzantine Empire and its sphere of influence, this volume addresses a paradox. Advanced literacy was rare among imperial citizens, being restricted by gender and class. Yet the state's economic, religious and political institutions insisted on the fundamental importance of the written record. Starting from the materiality of codices, documents and inscriptions, the volume's contributors draw attention to the evidence for a range of interactions with texts. They examine the role of authors, compilers and scribes. They look at practices such as the close perusal of texts in order to produce excerpts, notes, commentaries and editions. But they also analyse the social implications of the constant intersection of writing with both image and speech. Showcasing current methodological approaches, this collection of essays aims to place a discussion of Byzantium within the mainstream of medieval textual studies.

Fortune's Child

Fortune's Child PDF Author: James Conroyd Martin
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781734004304
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 398

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Book Description
Theodora: actress, prostitute, mistress. And Byzantine Empress of the civilized world. Stephen: handsome Syrian boy, wizard's apprentice, palace eunuch. And Secretary to the Empress. How does this unlikely pair become such allies that one day Empress Theodora asks Stephen to write her biography? From a very young age, Theodora, daughter of a circus bearkeeper in Constantinople, sets her sights well above her station in life. Her exquisite beauty sets her apart on stages and in the eyes of men. Stephen, a Syrian lad of striking good looks, is sold by his parents to a Persian wizard, who teaches him a skill in languages that will serve him well. By the time Destiny brings them together in Antioch, Theodora has undergone heartrending trials and a transformation, while Stephen has been sold again . . . and castrated. Discover the enduring bond that, however imperfect, prompts Theodora--as Empress--to request palace eunuch Stephen to write her biography.

Passionate Holiness

Passionate Holiness PDF Author: Dennis O'Neill
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
ISBN: 1490789944
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of Cape Town once said with regard to South Africa’s apartheid policy, “One of the ways of helping to destroy a people is to tell them that they don’t have a history, that they have no roots.” More recently, he described homophobic discrimination as “totally unacceptable and unjust as apartheid ever was.” Unfortunately, it has been particularly difficult for some gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians to remain connected to identify with their own faith traditions because some of these traditions not only treat them as people of secondary status but also teach Christian history as though no people of same-gender attraction or opposite-gender identity had any noteworthy place in it and made no significant contributions at all to Christian tradition. Passionate Holiness tries to remedy this situation by explaining why acquaintance with the stories of certain saints with whom gender minorities can identify can help them to connect with their own history and spiritual legacy and empower them to face a brighter future with a sense of optimism and inclusion.

Edward Gibbon: Historical Works, Memoirs & Letters

Edward Gibbon: Historical Works, Memoirs & Letters PDF Author: Edward Gibbon
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 2854

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Book Description
DigiCat presents to you this carefully created collection of Edward Gibbon's historical works, memoirs & letters. This ebook has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament. He is best known for his book, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The work covers the history of the Roman Empire, Europe, and the Catholic Church from 98 to 1590 and discusses the decline of the Roman Empire in the East and West. Because of its relative objectivity and heavy use of primary sources, unusual at the time, its methodology became a model for later historians. This led to Gibbon being called the first modern historian of ancient Rome. Table of Contents: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Memoirs of My Life and Writings Private Letters of Edward Gibbon Gibbon - Biography by J. C. Morison

Count Belisarius

Count Belisarius PDF Author: Robert Graves
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141188138
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 622

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Book Description
The sixth century was not a peaceful time for the Roman empire. Invaders threatened on all fronties, but they grew to respect and fear the name of Belisarius, the Emperor Justinian's greatest general. With this book Robert Graves again demonstrates his command of a vast historical subject, creating a startling and vivid picture of a decadent era.

Unsung Love Song

Unsung Love Song PDF Author: Laurence Dillon
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781916197732
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description


The Black Eunuchs of the Ottoman Empire

The Black Eunuchs of the Ottoman Empire PDF Author: George H. Junne
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0857728938
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 415

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Book Description
The Chief Black Eunuch, appointed personally by the Sultan, had both the ear of the leader of a vast Islamic Empire and held power over a network of spies and informers, including eunuchs and slaves throughout Constantinople and beyond. The story of these remarkable individuals, who rose from difficult beginnings to become amongst the most powerful people in the Ottoman Empire, is rarely told. George Junne places their stories in the context of the wider history of African slavery, and places them at the centre of Ottoman history. The Black Eunuchs of the Ottoman Empire marks a new direction in the study of courtly politics and power in Constantinople.

Byzantine Monastic Foundation Documents

Byzantine Monastic Foundation Documents PDF Author: John Philip Thomas
Publisher: Dumbarton Oaks
ISBN: 9780884022329
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 500

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Book Description
The nature of the typkia, discussed by John Thomas in the introduction, was one of flexible and personal documents, which differed considerably in form, length, and content. Not all of them were foundation documents in the strict sense, since they could be issued at any time in the history of an institution. Some were wills; others were reform decrees and rules; yet others were primarily liturgical in character.