الأرملة في المجتمع البيزنطي

الملخص EN

The research deals with several points, the most important of which are: the widow-within the byzantine society-who was likepoor, weak, orphans and strangers, so she obtained what they obtained, but she increased them, the matter required her to be protected by the rulingor religious authority.

according to this protections, her second marriage considered unacceptable in social order, as a result the authority restricting it by a set of laws.

widow's children had a great care by the ruling authority, to be sure that they would not be abandoned by their mothers, and not to belosable within the community.

according to the widows who did not have children, they were allowed to marry again after the mourning period had ended.

the authority was cautious as well about the money left for the widow's young children.

the research studies many cases about the widow: firstly, when she is a guardian of her children in case she was not marrying again.

secondly, when the legal guardianship ineligibility of the children.

third, the case that the father was not specified another guardian before his death.

fourth, when the widow grandmother was a guardianship for her grandchildren.

all this cases were applied by the authority that was very strong against bad guardians, and against excessive widows who often hand everything over to their new husband.

the research showed that the widows represented a large percentage in the society for maintenance families, the matter that evidenced by tax statistics, and it was confirmed that they possess the right to administer family property-after the approval of the law-even with the existence of senior children in their families.

the widow has also the right to join the priestly corps according to certain conditions, the matter showed that the variety of their roles within the society, economically and in religious life.