Page:The age of Justinian and Theodora (Volume 1).djvu/140

 and squares for the purpose of display and gossip. At home she is often a tyrant to her maidservants, and not infrequently whips them severely with her own hand. Precisely the reverse of this picture is the condition of the Byzantine maiden in her father's house; before her coverture she is persistently immured in the women's apartments, and seldom passes the outer door of the dwelling; never unless under strict surveillance. In most instances, however, her state of seclusion is not of long duration; for, at the age of fourteen or fifteen she is considered to be marriageable. She