Virgin. A widow. Priestess. In the emerging Christian society around 400, women gain power. But how long will they keep it? Who helped them to their new position and what was the cause of their downfall? The author of this book looks back into the past to portray a pivotal period of women's emancipation and their previously unprecedented involvement in church and social life. The story he tells has been almost erased from history. However, references to it have remained hidden in works of art that today bear precious testimony to the emancipated and confident women who once stood at the centre of the action..;