What do the roles of Han dowager empresses and the wives and mothers of Roman emperors, such as Julia Domna, demonstrate about Roman and Han imperial rule during their declining years?

Question

Women from both royal courts went into seclusion after their husbands’ deaths and had no influence over their successors.
Women from both royal courts often traveled with each emperor’s army to provide moral support to military troops
Women from both royal courts made the decision to divide each empire into smaller sections that were easier to rule.
Women from both royal courts exercised significant control of court politics outside of public view

Answer 1

The roles of Han dowager empresses and the wives and mothers of Roman emperors, such as Julia Domna, demonstrate that women from both royal courts exercised significant control of court politics outside of public view during the declining years of Roman and Han imperial rule.

These women, after the deaths of their husbands, often went into seclusion, but this did not mean they had no influence over their successors. They continued to hold significant power and played a crucial role in court politics, although this influence was exerted behind the scenes.

Additionally, women from both royal courts did not merely stay within the confines of their palaces. They frequently traveled with each emperor's army, providing moral support to the troops. This shows that they actively participated in the affairs of the empire and were regarded as important figures in maintaining the loyalty and morale of the military.

However, there is no evidence to suggest that these women made decisions to divide each empire into smaller sections. The division of the empires into smaller sections was a result of other political and military factors, rather than a deliberate decision made by the women of the royal courts.

Overall, the roles of these women demonstrate that even during the declining years of Roman and Han imperial rule, women from the royal courts had significant influence and control in the realm of court politics, albeit often operating behind the scenes.