Anna Comnena Traits

Although her plan failed, Comnena’s ability and willingness to scheme demonstrates her cleverness and desire for power, both traits which challenged society’s norms. Comnena manipulated her role in her father’s court to her benefit. She read and memorized important documents with her access to the royal library (Schlager). Her astute observation skills allowed her to pick up on military techniques she overheard from her father’s conversations. She also paid attention to the war technology developing around her. She reveals her knowledge on the topic in her writing saying, “The arrows used with this bow are very short in length, but very thick, fitted in front with a very heavy iron tip” (Comnena 249). Comnena understanding the weapons enabled

Comnena believed women should receive equal educations to men writing, “I am grieved at the absolute neglect of general education and it makes me glow with anger because I myself spent so much time over the same things. And when I was released from that childish teaching and betook myself to the study of rhetoric and touched on philosophy and in between these sciences turned to the poets and historians” (Comnena 412-413). She resented not having the opportunity to learn complex subjects as a little girl and felt deprived of knowledge. Byzantine women did not receive any education, and Comnena wanted her culture to make a change. Her description of her grandmother demonstrates her controversial perception of women. She writes, “For my grandmother was so clever in business and so skillful in guiding a State, and setting it in order… She was very keen in noting what should be done and clever in carrying it out to a sure end. And not only was she so remarkable intellectually, but her powers of speech too, corresponded to her intellect, for she was really a most convincing orator" (Comnena 85). She recounts her grandmother’s incredible intellect, cleverness and speaking skills as opposed to looks, her husband or her children. Anna depicts her grandmother as a powerful, smart woman because she thinks highly of all women and believes they can have more of a role than just a housewife. Additionally, she explains her writing techniques saying she makes intellectual observations and references “As the young man [Homer] does in the Odyssey (for I am not inferior to him)” (Comnena 113). Anna views herself as equal to a high achieving man in a society who saw her as beneath all men. Comnena defined herself as a woman and other women in powerful ways and equivalent to men which opposed Byzantine non-feminist