Eudocia’s Legacy: The Empress of East and West
Athenaïs was born in the heart of Athens in 401 AD, during a transformative time just two decades after Nicaean Christianity became the Roman Empire’s official religion. This period saw those who resisted conversion, be they pagan or non-Nicaean Christians, facing persecution. Her father, the last of the pagan Greeks who taught rhetoric in Athens, instilled in her a love for epic poetry, adhering to the hexameter—a poetic structure familiar to admirers of classics like the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid.
At the tender age of twelve, the passing of her mother left her responsible for her household and the care of her two younger siblings. But despite the substantial legacy of her wealthy father, she found herself with a mere 100 gold coins upon his demise. Seeking an equal share of her father’s estate, she pleaded with her brothers. Upon their refusal, she journeyed to Constantinople to challenge the will.
It was there that she encountered Pulcheria, the emperor of the East’s sister, who took such a liking to Athenaïs that she convinced her brother, Theodosius II, to wed her. Soon after, Athenaïs embraced Christianity, was baptized as Aelia Eudocia, and tied the knot with Theodosius in June of 421.
Eudocia quickly rose to prominence, securing significant roles for her male family members. She also guided her husband in founding Constantinople’s first-ever university, equipped with faculties dedicated to the study of Greek and Latin grammar, Greek rhetoric, Latin rhetoric, law, and philosophy. She was instrumental in establishing various structures, from a retirement home and an episcopal palace to numerous churches and a basilica. Celebrating her husband’s victory against the Sassanids, she penned an ode praising the imperial army’s valor.
In her personal life, she bore three children. Tragically, a daughter and a son died young, while her remaining daughter, Licinia Eudossia, became empress by marrying the reigning Western Emperor, Valentiniano III, in Ravenna, Italy. Thus, Eudocia’s influence spanned both Eastern and Western empires. This newfound power seemed to kindle jealousy in Pulcheria, leading to tensions.
To alleviate these stresses, Eudocia, at 37, embarked on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 438. There, she secured the chains of St. Peter, sending half to her daughter in Ravenna. This relic eventually found its resting place in the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli, near Rome’s iconic Colosseum—now also home to Michelangelo’s renowned Moses sculpture. Her journey also led her to Antioch in Syria, where her citation of Homer in a speech earned her a bronze statue in her honor. Upon returning to Constantinople with a trove of relics, grand celebrations ensued.
However, tensions with Pulcheria remained. A curious incident involving a red apple, initially gifted to Eudocia by Theodosius and then unwittingly re-gifted to the emperor by a friend, stoked the flames of controversy. This seemingly trivial matter, manipulated by Pulcheria, resulted in Eudocia’s exile from Constantinople on allegations of infidelity. Yet, her royal title remained intact, and she continued to wield influence, overseeing the construction of religious edifices and fortifications around Jerusalem.
During her exile, she authored the ‘Homerocentones,’ a retelling of Gospel tales using Homeric hexameters. Her faith evolved as she became a staunch Monophysite, a Christian sect that opposed the dual divine/human nature of Christ advocated by the Nicene Creed.
The theological dispute between two prominent bishops, Nestorius of Constantinople and Cyril of Alexandria, intensified. They clashed over the term for Mary: Nestorius proposed “Christotokos,” implying Mary gave birth to Christ’s human aspect, while Cyril favored “Theotokos,” translating to “Mother of God.” This schism led to multiple councils, the last of which in Chalcedon, influenced by Pulcheria, declared Nestorian beliefs heretical.
Eudocia eventually returned to the Nicene faith but spent her final years in solitude, passing away a decade after the emperor. Her resting place lies in a church she commissioned near Jerusalem’s western gate. Recognized as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church, she’s commemorated annually on August 13.
