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Anna Dokeianina Syrakousina

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Photo
File:Propoloma.jpg
Anna and her hat which she uses to sail between Constantinople and England.
Information
Resides: The Conch Republic of Early Disaster
Status: Anachronistic and Impulsive
Awards: Order of Precedence
Heraldry
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Argent, A dolphin naiant sable, a bordure gules.

Badge: Fieldless, a dolphin naiant sable.

Badge: Fieldless, a crocodile tergiant fesswise contourny sable engorged with an ancient coronet Or.

Mottos: "Anachronistic and Impulsive", "Prove Them Wrong."

Award & Office Badges
Award of ArmsCompanion of the Order of the MauncheCompanion of the Order of the Burdened TygerQueen's Order of CourtesyCourtBaronyJourneyman Brewer

Introduction

Hypatissa (Baroness) Anna Dokeianina Syrakousina came to the Barony of the Bridge by ways of Trimaris in 2002, where she had been playing on and off for a few years during high school and college. She is garb diva, apprentice to Clothilde von der Insel, Man-At-Arms to Lord Tristan le Sauvage, a warranted marshal of fence and a pretty good brewer, too. She is painfully obsessed with all things Roman and Eastern Roman (Byzantine) and enjoys blabbing about her recent projects and teaching classes. She moved to the Barony of Stonemarche in February 2014. She is married to Lord Gieffrei de Toesni.

As of June 2016, she resided in the Barony of Calafia, Kingdom of Caid, having moved there to be with Gieffrei at his Naval posting, and on return from their sojourn, they were suddenly and unexpectedly ordered exile to the uninhabited borderlands between Meridies and Trimaris. Sick of moving around, Anna and Gieffrei declared their right as stadtholders of the Conch Republic of Early Disaster.

She is a member of Freehold of the Riverkeep, Clan SITH, Atelier du Champagne, and The Smoking Bridge Guild of Libation Brewers.

Anna replaced her missing cousin, Anna Dauzzano da Siracusa at court during Bridge Birthday 2012.

Research and Development Department

Anna's primary area of study is the late 11th Century of the Byzantine Empire, during the reign of Alexius I and the First Crusade. She has developed her own patterns for Byzantine clothing based on historical finds, which are available on her website, annasrome.com, which has pages dedicated to both Ancient Roman and Byzantine garb. She is also interested in Byzantine-Norman relations (which were not good) through the 11th Century, especially the transference of fashion between the two cultures and the absorption of Saracen styles as well which is seen in extant Norman-Sicilian finds.

Her major project is to re-create garments based on historical documents and illuminations, such as the Last Will and Testament of Kale Pakouriane, an actual extant document from her period, the Theodore Psalter, Menologion of Basil II, and Eisiterion of Agnes of France.

Figure14.jpg Clothing based on descriptions in the Last Will and Testament of Kale Pakouriane

Eisiterion.jpeg Clothing based on illuminations in the Eisiterion of Agnes of France

In addition to clothing, Anna also dabbles in iconography, using period mediums such as gold leaf and egg tempera from natural pigments. It's daunting, but she enjoys it and hopes to continue to improve and expand her skills in this art form.

File:Mary icon.jpg 2nd Icon. Made for Isabeau du Valle for the East Kingdom Artisanal Exchange.

Gabrielicon.jpg 6th Icon. Made for HL Konstantia Kaloethina of Calontir for the award of Herald Extraordinary.

She also has done extensive research on the Varangian Guard's service to the Byzantine Empire from their inception during the reign of Basil II in the late 10th Century through the 4th Crusade when Constantinople fell to the Franks and Venetians in 1204.

A project is in process to submit new Byzantine titles to the College of Heralds. Anna is a member of the research team alongside Konstantia Kaloethina from Calontir, and Ioannes Dalassenos from Ansteorra. Progress can be seen here: http://annasrome.com/alternate-titles-project/

As a brewer, Anna has successfully made some Roman wines based on a modern day moscato by infusing spices and other aromatics to make period beverages in wine that she fermented herself. Through her brewing research, she's discovered that the Romans used parallels to modern wine kits, and also added sulfates to their wines as preservatives much as we do now.

She's pretty decent with Latin, and would like to someday learn Greek. Other period art forms she would eventually like to check out would be calligraphy and illumination, and lampwork beadmaking.

Visit her blog at http://www.annasrome.com for further insight into her projects, and don't hesitate to email her with any questions at syrakousina@gmail.com.

Classes Taught

A complete list of classes is available at http://annasrome.com/classes-ive-taught/

If you are interested in class materials or having Anna teach at your event, email her at syrakousina@gmail.com.

Persona

Anna is a lady born of a high-ranking Greek family living in Norman Sicily around the mid 11th century. She was married to a lower ranking prince of the Imperial family by proxy and moved to Constantinople in her early teens. She was rapidly caught up into dangerous court intrigue, and after nearly 20 years of grandiose Imperial life, her husband was mysteriously killed while turmoil reigned during a shifting of power in the Purple. Being that her family was of an opposing political view to the Emperor, she was placed under house arrest and is confined to the grounds of the Great Palace Complex overlooking Propontis (The Sea of Marmara).

When not a victim of intrigue, Anna served the empress in the office of Zoste Patrikia, an official of the court that translates to "girded lady patrician." Or basically the head lady in waiting/Lady of the Robes. It was a highly prized office, and one of the few that women held exclusively in Roman bureaucracy. After the death of her husband, she was awarded the honorific title of Hypatissa, or lady consul.

She was married to Lord Gieffrei de Toesni, a nobleman cousin to Robert Guiscard, as a capitulation following the devastating loss to the Normans at Dyrrakhion. This accomplished getting her out of the emperor's hair, and appeasing the Normans for a few years.

Alternate Persona: Anna Dauzzano da Siracusa

Anna was born in the mid 16th century to a Spanish mother and Italian father. Anna found herself engrossed in the classics while working in the offices of her uncle's shipping company. After turning down several profitable marriage proposals, her uncle saw in her a better businessperson than noblewoman, and gave her the ship, La Delfina Nera (the Black Dolphin), to sponsor and run as her own corner of his larger conglomerate.

Disagreeing with the tribute demanded by the Spanish crown for them to continue to operate out of Naples, the Dauzzano clan packed up and relocated to Venice, which gave them greater access to the Eastern Mediterranean and the goods coming off of the Silk Road. Anna, along with her brother, Maximo, took La Delfina Nera to the island of Cyprus to be more strategically placed for trade with the Ottoman Empire out of Constantinople. This is a dangerous place to be, as the Ottomans continually press the Venetian merchants and shippers on the island, and threaten invasion.

Anna's ship was taken off the coast of Cyprus one fateful autumn afternoon, and she is now presumed dead. Rumor has it she was sold into the Sultan's harem.

Offices & Positions

  • Deputy Seneshal of Trollhaven, 2003-2004
  • Arts and Sciences Champion for the Barony of the Bridge, 2011-2012
  • Baronial Marshal of Rapier for Bridge 2012-2014
  • Queen's Guard - Caoilfhionn - 2014
  • Queen's Arts and Sciences Champion - Marisa (Caid) - 2016-2017
  • Baronial Court and Guard - Guy Rand and Muirenn (Barony of Calafia, Caid) - 2016-2017
  • Arts and Sciences Champion for the Barony of Castlemere, Trimaris - 2018-2019

Event Staff

  • Autocrat for Black Rose Ball, 2004
  • Autocrat for Black Rose Ball, again. 2010.
  • Co-Autocrat for the Coronation of Lucan VIII and Jana V, 04/02/2011.
  • Kitchen staff for Ice Weasel, 2012.
  • Co-Autocrat for Bridge Birthday 2012.
  • Artistic type...person for Black Rose Ball 2014.

Projects & Publications

  • Ars Scientia Orientalis Summer 2014: [[1]]
  • And her blog, which chronicles all things Rome and Byzantium. Includes pages on garb for these cultures: http://annasrome.com

In Case of Court

More Information

Mundanely, Angela Costello holds an MA in History: Museum Studies from the University of New Hampshire, and a BA in History from the University of Rhode Island. She recently completed a certificate in historic textile and costume collections management through California State University: Long Beach, and worked as an archivist and research librarian at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. She is currently serving as Queen of the Alligators to the greater Jacksonville area, Florida.