Holy Women in the late Byzantine

Abstract

The focus of study is Hagiography, i.e., writings on the lives and miracles of saints, in the late Byzantine. The attitude of Byzantines toward female saints reflects their general ambivalence about women. The numbers of female saints provided with vitae are very low. The author shows that a definite transformation in type of female saint occurs over time, and explores the vitae of two Byzantine holy women - Matrona from Сhios who entered monastic life, and Xenia Irina, married woman, who attained sanctity without ever having taken monastic vows.