This title presents an original portrayal of Justinian's reign, its politics and theological disputes, focusing on the lives of two extraordinary women who wielded power and influence. A fascinating exploration of the corridors of power in Byzantium of the time of Justinian (527-565), the book reveals how Empress Theodora and Antonina, both alumnae of the theatre, were remarkable examples of social mobility, moving into positions of power and influence, becoming wives of key figures. Theodora had three aims: to protect those Christians who would not accept the Chalcedonian Creed; to advance the careers of her family and friends; and to defend the poor and assist the defenceless and, in particular, women - a mission which she claimed publicly. Finally, there was the allure of power, and though the exercise of power cannot be qualified as an 'aim', there can be no doubt that Theodora loved authority: she made and unmade marriage contracts, and appointed men to office, or destroyed them if they got in her way. Antonina was both friend and agent, and equally ruthless. She managed her husband, Belisarius, and advanced his career, though she was unfaithful to the marriage bed, and would outlive the main players of the age of Justinian.

"There is no other book that gives Theodora as extensive or as penetrating treatment as this one.... The task is worthwhile, because Theodora is a figure of historical importance and great interest and perhaps the only Byzantine woman about whom the sources say enough to make even a short book feasible." -- Warren Treadgold, author of A Concise History of Byzantium

Even by modern standards, the Empress Theodora (?-548) had a remarkable rise to power. Born into the lowest class of Byzantine society, she worked as an actress in burlesque theater. Yet she attracted the love of the future emperor Justinian, who, to the astonishment of proper society, made her not only his wife but also his partner in government. Justinian's respect for and trust in Theodora gave her power in her own right unmatched by almost any other Roman or Byzantine empress.

In this book, James Allan Evans provides a scholarly, yet highly accessible account of the life and times of the Empress Theodora. He follows her from her childhood as a Hippodrome bearkeeper's daughter to her imperial roles as Justinian's most trusted counselor and as an effective and powerful advocate for the downtrodden. In particular, he focuses on the ways in which Theodora worked to improve the lives of women. He also explores the pivotal role Theodora played in the great religious controversy of her time, involving a breach between sects in the Christian church.

The Hellenistic world, ushered into existence in 323 b.c.e. through the conquests of Alexander the Great, stretched from India in the east to Sicily in the west. Within this vast region, society was multicultural, but the dominant culture was that of the Greeks (who called themselves Hellenes). The Hellenistic Age carried on the legacy of classical Greece in the visual arts, literature, science, technology, religion, and urban daily life. In Daily Life in the Hellenistic Age, James Allan Evans guides the reader through the vast conquered lands of the shortlived Hellenistic empire and its successor kingdoms. In lively narrative chapters, Evans explores such topics as marriage customs; women in Hellenistic societies; festivals, sports, and spectacles; symposia (drinking parties); the agricultural and commercial components of the polis (city-state); food and drink; education; science and technology; and the legacy of the Hellenistic age in the modern world. This revised and updated paperback edition includes two maps.

Marcia Mellon, author of TV scripts and detective stories, comes to the Palazzo Agrippina at Arco Felice, just outside Pozzuoli on the Bay of Naples, where the fumaroles at the Phlegraean Fields smoulder like smoke vents from Hell, and in the distance, Mt. Vesuvius rises above the bay, quiescent but menacing. A disparate group of students have enrolled in the Palazzo Agrippina's summer program, bound together by a common interest in Roman archaeology. The director, DeWitt Fordham hopes to be appointed dean of his college, and his assistant, Dr. Alex, hopes to take Fordham's place. Decimus Monroe Thatcher, president the society sponsoring Palazzo Agrippina program has come to inspect the session, and with him is son Conradin, a troubled teenager who is a disappointment to his father. Nearby, connected by a path to Palazzo Agrippina back yard, is the Albergo Felice, a small hotel and bar,, where the sinister Luigi and his cousin Tony are in charge. Its bar is a favorite watering hole for students at the Palazzo. There are two deaths - or are they murders? Did Conradin commit suicide? Marcia thinks it was murder. The reader must decide.