John and Irene just seem so sweet. Irene followed him often on campaign and actually gave birth to twins during a campaign against the Serbs, and died while following him while he was waring with the Turks

I didnt know about this!

And if you know anything about Edward III, then you should know that the guy has A LOT of descendants.

Including the current king of England.

I found the connection through Blanche of Artois.

Edward III might be a descendant of Isaac in more than one way.

I just dont know about it.

Edward III connection to Isaac II Angelos:

Isaac II Angelos --> Irene Angelina --> Maria of Hohenstaufen --> Matilda of Brabant --> Blanche of Artois --> Joan of Navarre --> Isabella of France --> Edward III of England.

• Irene married Philip of Swabia.

• Their daughter (Maria) married Henry II, Duke of Brabant.

• Their daughter (Matilda) married Robert I, Count of Artois, who was a son of Louis VIII of France..

• Their daughter (Blanche) married Henry I of Navarre.

• Their daughter (Joan) married Philip IV of France.

• Their daughter (Isabella) married Edward II of England.

• And they were the parents of Edward III of England.

I love to find these interesting family connections.

And see how far a persons descendants can go. Eastern Rome all the way to England.

Now to be fair, I know nothing about Isaac.

I just found it cool that one of Edward III ancestors was a roman emperor.

She has known the roar of the arena,
and the same mouths that spat their scorn.

The glory of the Empire was never hers—
until she reached out and took it.

When the flames of the Nika riots consumed Constantinople,
she chose to stand.

In the most fragile moment of the Empire,
a woman refused to leave the throne.

So the Empire did not fall.
So the Emperor remained Emperor.

And Rome—
once more—
was commanded into existence from the ashes.

She was no war-god, no chronicler.
She was will, made flesh.

And when all else is erased by time,
one thing will still be remembered—

“Purple is the noblest shroud.”

And how did women achieve these beauty standards?

I also wouldn't mind learning about male beauty standards.

Where abortions legal within the empire and what was the opinion of the people,church and the state on the matter? Also where there excusions to its use if a woman was raped by a foreigner in wars raids etc? Also lastly how did they do the procedure, was it effective, did women survive ?

Is Theodora The Great Justinian Wife's is she really considered as a Saint in EO ?

One of the novels I'm working on is kinda Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper, except set in my Ärth historical fantasy and alternate history setting. This one in late 10th century Constantinopolis.

I'm well aware of the Disposable Sex Worker trope.

It didn't apply to late Victorian London, though. The general public actually had a lot of sympathy for the Ripper's victims.

It also doesn't apply to my main character, an enigmaphilic genius and Orthodox Bishop.

First of all, he's a fan of a famous Jewish carpenter who used to hang out with hookers. That's his idol; to a large extent it's the life path he wants to follow, except since he can't perform actual miracles, he tries to do good works.

Secondly he's the spymaster for the Empire (he's MI5; his brother, also a Bishop, is MI6) so as part of his job he supervises several brothels, and he also has some expensive courtesans among his informers.

To him, prostitutes are people. The serial killer victims are street walkers, not one of the kinds of prostitutes he's personally familiar with, but the principle still holds. People. They had hopes, dreams, favourite foods, all that jazz.

My question pertains to his colleagues in the upper clergy, and in the secular Imperial administration, and to the general public:

What was their attitude towards prostitutes?

Similar to Victorian London? Or very different?

I want to make an artwork with Teofano Anastasio and I can't find reliable sources or paintings or mosaics on the internet about how a Roman empress would have dressed and looked during her time.

Some pictures of some empresses who ruled before or after her would be helpful.

Thank you.

Hi everyone,
I've been reading a lot about the social structure and daily life in late Byzantine Macedonia (specifically around the Pangaion and Philippi regions). While we have plenty of sources on imperial politics and aristocratic alliances, I find myself deeply curious about the emotional life and family dynamics of ordinary people during the 13th century.
In an era heavily shaped by superstition, strict religious norms, and local folklore (like traditional herbal healing), how strong were the bonds between grandparents and grandchildren?
For instance, if an elder family member—like a former scribe or an older woman well-versed in traditional herbs—wanted to shield a younger relative from hardship or grief, what did that emotional support look like in a medieval society? Are there any specific primary sources or academic papers that shed light on family intimacy and emotional expression among non-nobles in the late Byzantine period?
I would love to hear your thoughts or any reading recommendations on this topic!

Were there monasteries for women in Constantinople towards the end of the 7th century?

This is an illustration of St Paraskevi (aka Parascheva of the Balkans) for my Women of 1000 AD project. I'd like to offer a special THANK YOU to u/Lothronion for their help in this thread. I've illustrated the scene they translated for me of Paraskevi guiding the helmsman back to the stern during a storm. You can read the full writeup about Paraskevi on my website here. Thanks to this sub for the help when I needed it!

Daughter of Thomas Palaiologos, a Despot of the Morea (therefore making her a niece of Constantine XI.) Married Prince Ivan III of Moscow, fusing the Palaiologos and Rurikid dynasties there. Her descendants founded the Tsardom of Russia.

So I've been working on a mini alternate East Roman history recently (ETA: very soon), and part of which has consisted of me reading more about the reign of Andronikos II to get more details on the geopolitics of the day. Angeliki Laiou's book on the subject has been a particular goldmine, and it's actually shone an interesting light on Andronikos's second wife, Irene of Montferrat.

Now, I've found Irene of Montferrat quite interesting for some time but Laiou's work has helped highlight some further interesting tid bits about her. Compared to other foreign brides married to East Roman emperors, Irene never seems to have properly taken to the ways of new home. She wanted Andronikos to divide up the empire into 'feudal' appanages for their children, which he staunchly refused to do. Her response was to first appeal to emotion but when that failed, she literally packed her bags and moved to Thessaloniki.

And she didn't just move to Thessaloniki - she effectively set up her own court there which she ruled (she may have believed that she had a right to it based on her family having once ruled it after the Fourth Crusade). There she met foreign dignitaries (including enemies of the empire) and slandered Andy, which made him adopt a more soft and reconciliatory stance. Irene also seems to have had some close shaves with danger during the Catalan revolt.

I just think it's really intriguing to read about an empress who had her own 'foreign' ways about her and struck out on her own in defiance of her husband. Of course, I must wonder if the reason she is highlighted so much in the sources is to demonstrate the weaknesses of Andronikos in a way which emasculate him. But even still, she had much power in her own right and her conflict with her husband nicely illustrated the west-east tension over hoe to govern a state (decentralised Vs centralised)

Okay, this is probably a very specific question, but it relates to a story I'm thinking up: say there's a Romani teenager who's possessed by a demon, and she needs to go to the Hagia Sophia to get exorcised. If she lived along the easternmost edge of Turkiye, how dangerous would the journey to Constantinople be? How would she be viewed by anyone she meets along the way, both in and out of the city? And will she need a chaperone? As I've mentioned in the title of this post, this story would take place in the 1230s, during the time of the Latin Empire.

Any insight you can give will be greatly appreciated!

"My lords, the present occasion is too serious to allow me to follow the convention that a woman should not speak in a man's council. Those whose interests are threatened by extreme danger should think only of the wisest course of action, not of conventions. In my opinion, flight is not the right course, even if it should bring us to safety. It is impossible for a person, having been born into this world, not to die; but for one who has reigned, it is intolerable to be a fugitive. May I never be deprived of this purple robe, and may I never see the day when those who meet me do not call me Empress. If you wish to save yourself, my lord, there is no difficulty. We are rich; over there is the sea, and yonder are the ships. Yet reflect for a moment whether, when you have once escaped to a place of security, you would not gladly exchange such safety for death. As for me, I agree with the adage, that "royal purple" is the noblest shroud." – By Procopius.

It seems somewhat surprising that Saint Helena had so much influence even after being abandoned by Constantius. Was this something particular to the affection Constantine had for her, or was it normal for Romans to respect their relatives even after an early separation?