Forget 5o Shades of Grey and all that nonsense. Valentine’s Day should be a time to harken back to the classics, when love was celebrated with art and poetry, not shady movies. Though Valentine’s Day has passed, now’s as good a time as any to recall some great tales of love from history…
In the era of the Tang dynasty of China, the Taizong emperor, Emperor Gaozong, was walking one day when he happened to pass by a convent. A glance back revealed a pretty woman by the name of Wu Zetian (also known as Wu Zhao). A closer inspection revealed a shaved head, which is a tradition performed when a concubine’s emperor died. It was clear to Emperor Gaozong: Zetian had been a junior concubine to his late father and had to spend the rest of her young life in a convent, as per tradition.
Nonetheless, Emperor Gaozong was so enthralled by Zetian, so in love with her, that he didn’t care about traditions or propriety. He persuaded her into returning to the palace with him and resuming her former position, but as his concubine instead. Conservative statesmen were outraged. Not only was the emperor breaking tradition, but he was also carrying on in a somewhat incestuous relationship (though there was no blood relation between the two, she was his late father’s concubine). Still, Emperor Gaozong paid them no heed and continued to shower his affection on his beloved Zetian.
So in love with her was he that he ignored his other mistresses and when his health deteriorated, it was Zetian whom he relied on. Zetian didn’t hesitate either. When the emperor could no longer perform his duties, she took up his mantle with his consent for the next few decades until his death in 683 A.D. Even after his death, Zetian became China’s first and only female ruler and it was said she brought peace to the land. It seems her inner strength rivaled even their enduring love.
To continue this theme of men falling in love with inappropriate women is the story of Justinian and Theodora. He was a high and mighty – though unpopular – emperor of the Byzantine Empire and she was but a lowly actress, barely a step above a prostitute. They fell in love and amidst a crumbling social structure, Theodora taught Justinian the meaning of courage. During the Nika Revolt on Jan. 13, 532 A.D., it is said that Justinian would have run away were it not for Theodora’s bold stance and refusal to flee. She stood her ground and demanded respect as an empress and so Justinian was inspired to stand by her and face the rebellion head-on.
Before we leave this era, the great romance of Cleopatra and Mark Antony must be mentioned. Despite all their opposition, they fell in love, but it was not destined to be. Political strife was increasing and not even their love could withstand the opposing forces of Egypt and Rome. Soon enough, war was upon them and Antony was called to fight in battle. Through schemes and lies, Antony was eventually persuaded of Cleopatra’s false death and so stabbed himself. When he heard that Cleopatra was still alive, he had his friends bring him to her monument, where he died in her arms. Cleopatra conducted his burial rites, but then committed suicide within the same year.
Let’s fast forward a couple millennia and look at the Trumans. Harry Truman first met Bess in Sunday school when he was six and she was five. They were only together for a short time, however, as they both moved to separate states shortly after meeting. It wasn’t until nine years later that they were reunited and the courtship began.
For any woman who’s enamoured by the idea of love letters, Harry would have been the ideal man. He courted Bess partly through letters and even after he persuaded her to marry him, their written messages continued. Through nearly fifty years of marriage, two world wars, presidency, and miles of separation, their correspondence continued. More than 1,300 letters from Harry to Bess survive in the Truman Library collections, but many of Bess’ letters back to him have been lost. It’s one of the greatest stories of love to endure on paper.
All of these stories are wonderful tales of love and sacrifice. It’s great to believe that people can be capable of such depth, but nobody really knows the truth behind these tales. So, I’ll leave it up to you to decide what is fact and what is fiction.
