The Byzantine Empress Zoe Porphyrogenita and the quest for eternal youth

Abstract

The diachronically continuous struggle for eternal youth as represented by the Byzantine Empress Zoe Porphyrogenita (978-1050). The presentation of a beautiful empress, trying to keep her youth appearance until a prolonged age, applying on herself cosmetic essences and fragrances made in her personal laboratory into the imperial palace. The review of the relevant literature and the historical evidence derived from the historians and chroniclers of her era, as well as the surviving images of Zoe. The eye-witness chroniclers of the era describe her as blonde, with bright white skin, lack of wrinkles, and a very young girl appearance, preserving her beauty even into her 60s. All the historical sources agree that her main occupation was the manufacture of cosmetic essences, and for this purpose, she had installed a laboratory (myrepseion) in her private quarters, where she prepared various drugs and perfumes, spending much of her time for these activities. It is noteworthy that her first two husbands died under circumstances that aroused suspicions of Zoe's involvement in their deaths, as she had parallel love affairs. The best known image of Zoe is the mosaic panel in Saint Sophia, the cathedral Church of Constantinople and her representation has been long discussed, as she was 64 years old at the time of the scene apparently depicted in the panel, and maybe she took the opportunity of adding a more pleasing portrait of herself. The preservation of beauty is a timeless quest and cosmetic dermatology has its origins in antiquity and medieval times.

Once again on the Empress Zoe: Women, dermatology, cosmetics, and materia medica (medical matter) in the ancient world

“…Accordingly, the analysis of the outer appearance is, for Hippocratic medicine, one of the fundamental tools that can indicate inner harmony or disharmony, that is, disease. Therefore, although medicine and cosmetics are two quite separate conceptual fields, it is not uncommon to find indications for the preparation of creams and facial dyes even within treatises that contain therapeutic indications; this depends on the close link between physiology and aesthetics, whereby in the Greco‐Roman medical tradition natural beauty has a direct relationship with the good functioning of the body 1,2,3 . A pale face, tending to yellow or bruise, or marked by wrinkles, certainly indicates a beauty defect, but above all a break in the humoral balance (and therefore illness), poisoning, or the start of the aging process, which in ancient theories represented a move away from full health due to cooling and drying of the body.…”

“…Therefore, although medicine and cosmetics are two quite separate conceptual fields, it is not uncommon to find indications for the preparation of creams and facial dyes even within treatises that contain therapeutic indications; this depends on the close link between physiology and aesthetics, whereby in the Greco‐Roman medical tradition natural beauty has a direct relationship with the good functioning of the body. 1 , 2 , 3 A pale face, tending to yellow or bruise, or marked by wrinkles, certainly indicates a beauty defect, but above all a break in the humoral balance (and therefore illness), poisoning, or the start of the aging process, which in ancient theories represented a move away from full health due to cooling and drying of the body. The examination of the complexion and of the skin is, in fact, the first investigation carried out by the physician on the sick body: it is not by chance, for example, that in the treatises on women's diseases some generic cosmetic indications are mixed with more specific and therapeutic prescriptions, such as those for the elimination of the ascarids of the genitals and of the anus; or that colors used to beautify women's eyes also have a therapeutic power against eye diseases.…”

<i>In Vitro</i> Evaluations for a New Topical Anti-Aging Formulation

“…In fact, the dream of eternal youth has accompanied humans since ancient time and in all cultures: from the Byzantine Empress Zoe Porphyrogenita, that tried to keep her youth appearance until a prolonged age, applying on herself cosmetic essences and fragrances made in her personal laboratory in the imperial palace [1] to Indian traditional medicine and the ayurvedic perspectives on theories and management of aging [2]. All of them tried to seek a remedy to rejuvenation.…”

Fostering compassionate care for persons with Alzheimer's disease in nursing facilities.

“…The emphasis on providing specialty care to older adults is particularly interesting given that during the Byzantine Empire there is the first known movement towards a desire to appear more youthful. In particular, Empress Zoe is credited with starting this trend, as she continued to search for elixirs and remedies to appear much younger during her 60s (Panas, Poulakou-Rebelakou, Kalfakis, & Vassilopoulos, 2012). The detailed accounts of Zoe's quest for youth are noteworthy in that it provides insight into Byzantine pharmacology.…”