The tenth century seems to have been an age of illustrious
women. No sooner do we leave the story of Adelheid than we enter upon
that of the young wife of Otho II., the Empress Theophano, daughter of
the Greek Emperor, Romanus II. When little more than a child she was
married to the son of Adelheid, he himself being in his twentieth year
in the year 972, and in the city of Rome. The young Greek Princess who
had been reared amid the luxury and splendour of the Eastern capital at
once became the fashion--the manners of her Byzantine household became
those of her Roman court, and were transplanted to her German home at
Bamberg. Artists, limners, copyists, musicians, scholars, formed part of
her retinue, and at once the German Court became the rival of those of
England, Byzantium, Cordova, and Rome.
It was, indeed, a Renaissance, an awakening in literature, art, and
social life. Nor did its glory fade until eclipsed by the succeeding
rivalries of France and Italy. Theophano survived her husband, who died
in 983, and proved herself a capable Regent during the infancy of her
son Otho III. She, however, did not live to see his early death, nor
indeed to see that of the aged Adelheid, who survived her eight years,
and died in the same year (999) as Otho's aunt, Matilda, Abbess of
Quedlinburg.
Pages:
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116