23 Facts About Aelia Eudoxia

Aelia Eudoxia was Eastern Roman empress by marriage to the Roman emperor Arcadius.

Aelia Eudoxia had five children, four of whom survived to adulthood, including her only son and future emperor, but she had two additional pregnancies that ended in either miscarriages or stillbirths and she died as a result of the latter one.

Aelia Eudoxia was a daughter of Flavius Bauto, a Romanised Frank who served as magister militum in the Western Roman army during the 380s.

The History of the Later Roman Empire from the Death of Theodosius I to the Death of Justinian by J B Bury and the historical study Theodosian Empresses: Women and Imperial Dominion in Late Antiquity by Kenneth Holum consider her mother to be Roman and Eudoxia to be a "semibarbara", half-barbarian.

Aelia Eudoxia's father was last mentioned as Roman Consul with Arcadius in 385 and was already deceased by 388.

Aelia Eudoxia is presumed to have been orphaned at the time of her arrival.

Promotus died in 391 and, according to Zosimus, he was survived by his widow Marsa and two sons, Arcadius and his younger brother Honorius, who were raised alongside the sons and co-emperors of Theodosius I Zosimus asserts that Eudoxia lived alongside one of the surviving sons in Constantinople and is assumed to have already been acquainted with Arcadius during his years as junior partner to his father.

Aelia Eudoxia was educated by Pansophius, who was later promoted to bishop of Nicomedia in 402.

Rufinus had been an enemy of Promotus and the surviving household of the magister militum, including Aelia Eudoxia, might have been eager to undermine him.

Aelia Eudoxia involved herself in legal matters, such as when the general Arbazacius bribed her in order that he avoid trial for his conduct during his campaign against the Isaurians.

Aelia Eudoxia was then able to wear the purple paludamentum representing imperial rank and was depicted in Roman coinage.

Aelia Eudoxia became a patron to the faction of the Christian Church accepting the Nicene Creed and was reported by Socrates of Constantinople to have financed nighttime anti-Arian processions in Constantinople.

Aelia Eudoxia presided in public celebrations over the arrival of new relics of Christian martyrs to the city and joined nightly vigils herself.

Aelia Eudoxia was consistently reported to act alone in religious matters; and her husband Arcadius generally remained absent from public events.

Aelia Eudoxia then sent head eunuch Amantius to find a "zealous Christian" to execute the new law and demolish pagan temples and intimidate the pagan populace of Gaza.

Porphyry destroyed the temple of Marnas and constructed a basilica there in honor of the vow Aelia Eudoxia had made in her prayers for a son.

Aelia Eudoxia's role brought her into conflict with John Chrysostom, the Patriarch of Constantinople, particularly after he protested over the fall from power and execution of Eutropius.

John made another enemy in Aelia Eudoxia, who assumed that his denunciations of extravagance in feminine dress were aimed at herself.

Aelia Eudoxia was called back by Arcadius almost immediately, as the people became "tumultuous" over his departure.

Aelia Eudoxia spoke against Eudoxia in harsh terms: "Again Herodias raves; again she is troubled; she dances again; and again desires to receive John's head in a charger," comparing himself to John the Baptist.

Aelia Eudoxia was left bleeding and died of an infection shortly thereafter.

Aelia Eudoxia was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, in a porphyry sarcophagus that was described in the 10th century by Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus in the De Ceremoniis.

Aelia Eudoxia is a featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece The Dinner Party, being represented as one of the 999 names on the Heritage Floor.