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The unusual life of the Roman Princess Galla Placidia shows how an odd series of events can lead to astonishing results. After being kidnapped by the Visigoths, Placidia became a political advisor to the king of these "barbarians," and then his wife. Eventually, she would become a powerful empress of Rome and leave a strong mark on the politics, laws, and art of the empire.
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The ideas of chivalry and "romantic love" have been a distinctive feature of Western culture for centuries, but where did they begin? One point of origin is through the patronage of Marie of Champagne. See how her influence shaped literature through the artists she supported, including the originator of the Arthurian romance, Chretien de Troyes.
3) Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women before 1400: Perpetua Is Martyred in the Arena
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Follow the story of Vibia Perpetua, one of the earliest reliably verified Christian martyrs. How did the well-educated daughter of a noble family end up publicly executed in the arena? Trace the seemingly random series of events that led to a tragic death and see how Perpetua's record of her own experiences became an immensely popular text in the early Christian church.
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Meet one of the most significant historians of the First Crusade: Anna Comnena. Denied her dream of ruling as empress in Byzantium, the highly educated Anna made a different kind of mark on history by producing one of the most thorough and clear-eyed records of a momentous event that would echo through the ages.
5) Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women before 1400: Elfrida Rules Anglo-Saxon England
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The life of Elfrida can serve as a lesson in the difficulties of separating historical fact from rumor. See how the first crowned queen of England was often reduced to the archetype of the "wicked stepmother" when she was so much more than that. Look at her contributions to England in the 10th century and consider the common failings of historical memory.
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Turn to northwest Africa, where the fierce warrior woman, Kahina, fought to defend the mountain tribes of Maghreb from Muslim incursion. Understand why the struggle between the North African tribes and Islam was not about religion, but rather about preserving independence. Also discover the crucial role of olive trees in this conflict.
7) Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women before 1400: Freydis Journeys to North America
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The formidable sister of Leif Eriksson, Freydis Eriksdottir, accompanied her famous brother on two of the six voyages he took from Greenland to North America, making a fortune and building a reputation for cunning and violence along the way. Through Freydis, consider the contributions of women to the Viking age that would transform Europe.
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Writers and artists have long portrayed the death of John the Baptist as the whim of the young femme fatale Salome, but the truth is much more complicated. Discover the story of Salome's mother, the ambitious Herodias, an influential Judean woman whose hunger for power and recognition ultimately left her exiled and forgotten.
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After the murder of the despised Roman emperor Caracalla, an unlikely new dynasty was formed by a family of Syrian women. Examine how both utilizing and upending the strict gender roles of ancient Rome allowed Julia Maesa and her family to gain unprecedented (and precarious) power. Their influence was short-lived, but altered the course of the empire, nonetheless.
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The story of Licoricia is inextricably tied to the commerce and violence that swept through England and its Jewish community throughout the 13th century. Her impact on society reflects the changing perception of money in the West and how Jews were both aided and restricted by the laws that dictated how they could make and keep their wealth.
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Look at the brilliant and controversial scholar, Hypatia, as she lived, taught, and died in Alexandria in the middle of the 5th century. Her role as a public intellectual and philosopher would make her a rare example of respected female scholarship in a male-dominated world, and it would ultimately lead to her murder at the hands of an angry Christian mob.
12) Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women before 1400: Brigitta Speaks to God and the Pope
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The disasters of the tumultuous 14th century paved the way for the modern world. The first of two stories from this era, the life of Brigitta is one of struggle with the social and environmental problems of her time, a struggle she approached through religion. Brigitta's personal faith led her to seek comfort through mysticism and pass her experience down through her writings.
13) Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women before 1400: Heloise Embraces the New Philosophy
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Discover the story of Heloise, a woman who embodied the passion for ideas that would define the time known as the "12th-century renaissance." Her thirst for knowledge, and her scandalous love affair with the teacher Peter Abelard, resulted in years of correspondence that captures spiritual and intellectual ideas that foreshadow modern philosophy.
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Venture to the newly established Muslim sultanate of northern India in the 13th century, where Razia became the first and only female sultan. Though her rule was challenged by conservative Muslims who did not approve of a female ruler, Razia helped keep the peace in her kingdom by promoting compromise between the two competing religions of the area, Islam and Hinduism.
15) Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women before 1400: Pulcheria Defends the Virgin Mary
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How does a 13-year-old girl become the guiding force of the most powerful empire in the world? Discover how Pulcheria used religion and a very strategic vow of chastity to ensure the success of her family's dynasty following the death of her parents. Also see how her successful theological defense of the Virgin Mary would shape the Catholic Church for centuries to come.
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The impact of Plotina on the reign of her husband Trajan is both profound and difficult to delineate. Witness how her moral influence, as well as that of other valued women in Trajan's household, shaped the policies and reputation of one of the "Five Good Emperors" of Rome and how her story demonstrates a particular version of female power in the ancient world.
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In all of Chinese history, only one woman ever ruled on her own: Wu Zetian. Trace her rise to power, from her lowly origins as the daughter of a merchant to the head of her own dynasty. Along the way, gain insight into the cutthroat nature of the Chinese imperial court and the ways Wu could be both brilliant and cruel throughout her reign.
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During the brutal Merovingian dynasty, Queen Radegund stands out as an exception to the violence and cruelty of Western Europe after the collapse of Roman power. See how her religious convictions helped her escape her abusive husband and build a convent that would help other women find a place of freedom and safety.
19) Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women before 1400: Anna Brings Christianity to Russia
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One strategic political alliance changed the course of history in Eastern Europe. Understand how the marriage of a Byzantine princess and a pagan Scandinavian king brought Christianity to the area that would become Russia and how the marriage would establish a base of power that would be used to legitimize future tsars generations later.
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Joan d'Arc stands at the turning point of the brutal Hundred Years' War, a conflict that would transform warfare and national identity in 14th-century Europe. How does an illiterate country girl come to lead the armies of France against the English and become a symbol of a changing world? Look at the events of her life and the tragedy of her death to find out.