Power, Justice, and Tyranny in the Middle Ages
GETTY CENTER
North Pavilion, Plaza Level
This is a past event
Medieval power structures included royal courts, the church, city governments, and even universities. Although positions of authority were usually inherited, leaders were expected to embrace justice, a virtue associated with godly rule, and tyranny, a vice that ensured downfall and chaos. Social and legal hierarchies exposed in manuscript illumination underscore the tenuous place of women, the poor, and other "out-groups." Examples of good and bad government reveal the constant struggle between base human instincts and loftier ideals.