Notizen zu dieser Person
She was the daughter of the sophist Leontius, from whom she received athorough training in literature and rhetoric. The traditional story,told by John Malalas and others, is that she had been deprived of hersmall patrimony by the rapacity of her brothers, and sought redress atcourt in Constantinople. Her accomplishments attracted the attentionof Theodosius' sister Pulcheria, who made her one of herladies-in-waiting and groomed her to be the emperor's wife. After receiving baptism and discarding her former name, Athenais, forthat of Aelia Licinia Eudocia, she was married to Theodosius June 7,421; two years later, after the birth of her daughter Eudoxia, shereceived the title Augusta. The new empress repaid her brothers bymaking Valerius a consul and later governor of Thrace and the other,Gesius, prefect of Illyricum. Other, more contemporary historians like Socrates Scholasticus andJohn of Panon, confirm many of these details, but omit all mention ofPulcheria's participation in Eudocia's marriage to her brother. Thismakes other details of Eudocia's activities more understandable, asfor example, using her substantial influence at court to protectpagans and Jews. In the years 438-439 she made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and broughtback several precious relics; during her stay at Antioch she addressedthe senate of that city in Hellenic style and distributed funds forthe repair of its buildings. On her return her position was underminedby the jealousy of Pulcheria and the groundless suspicion of anintrigue with her protégé Paulinus, the master of the offices. After the latter's execution (440) she retired to Jerusalem, where shewas accused of the murder of an officer sent to kill two of herfollowers, for which act she suffered the loss of some of her imperialstaff. Nevertheless she retained great influence; although involved inthe revolt of the Syrian monophysites (453), she was ultimatelyreconciled to Pulcheria and readmitted into the orthodox church. Shedied at Jerusalem on October 20, 460, having devoting her last yearsto literature. Among her works were a paraphrase of the Octateuch in hexameters, aparaphrase of the books of Daniel and Zechariah, a poem on St Cyprianand on her husband's Persian victories. A Passion History compiled outof Homeric verses, which Zonaras attributed to Eudocia, is perhaps ofdifferent authorship.
Karl-Heinz
Böttcher
