"This will be essential reading for anyone studying Byzantine history in this period. It ranges in time from the death of the emperor Basil II in 1025 to the sacking of the city of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusaders in 1204, spanning the rise and fall of the successful Komnenos dynasty. Eleventh-century Byzantine history is unusual in that imperial women were able to wield immense power and in this ground-breaking book Dr. Hill explores why this was possible and equally, why they lost their position of influence a century later." "Although written with the needs of students and the non-specialist reader in mind, the book is sure to be equally welcomed by other scholars working in the field."--Jacket.