Le statut de la femme à Byzance (4e-7e siècle). II. Les pratiques sociales

The second volume is devoted to social practices. Greek papyri from the Byzantine period reveal certain aspects of the female condition: exclusion from the public sphere; social ethics, decorum and sexual morality; family powers, notably that of the husband over the wife and that of the widow over the children. Protobyzantine sources show whether these findings can be extended from Egyptian society to the rest of the Empire. The relationship between social practices, imperial law and Church norms is then examined.