Wonder Woman of the Week: Kassia
Welcome back everyone to another Wonder Woman of the Week after a two week break while I travel through Europe. This week's heroine is worth the wait. Not only was she a rockstar of her era- one of the few women in Medieval Europe permitted to compose music under her real name- but well respected in both her time and the present for her power of prose both religious and secular. Kassia- sometimes known as Kassiani- was one of the most beautiful women of her era, born to a wealthy family in the Byzantine Empire. She was so beautiful that she was a contestant in a Medieval version of the Bachelor during which a Byzantine prince's mother arranged the most beautiful women in the empire for her son to chose to be the bride and future empress. Prince Theophilos initially chose Kassia and told her he chose her by quoting a line from the Bible citing Eve as the origin of original sin, but Kassia responded by citing another verse citing Mary as the origin of salvation. Her wit offended the emperor and he changed his mind to marry a different contestant.
The next time history books mention Kassia, the young woman had joined a convent and began putting quill to paper as a poet, composer, and hymnographer. Several historians debate why Kassia joined the convent with some claiming it was out of sorrow for having the emperor chose another woman to marry, but the most likely reason was at the time; the convent was the only place in the Byzantine Empire a woman could get an education and be permitted to practice arts like painting and writing. Kassia was also a devout follower of her faith. When Theophilos eventually became emperor, he frequently clashed with the Church, and Kassia openly opposed him- so much so that the emperor had her lashed on several occasions for being so outspoken. Church leaders though praised her reverence and dedication to the faith, which is probably why they openly allowed her to use her true name when writing church hymns. Only one other woman from the Byzantine Empire was allowed to write under her real name- a historian and princess Anna Comnena. After her death, Church officials were so proud of Kassia's work and devotion that they canonized her- making her a saint in the now Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
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