Eudocia
Augusta  AD 423 - 460

Athenais, maried to Theodosius II as Aelia Eudocia:
Wife of theodosius II;
Dauther-in-law of Arcadius and Aelia Eudoxia;
Sister-in-law of Aelia Pulcheria;
Mother of Licinia Eudoxia;
Mother-in-law of Valentinian III and Petronius Maximus.

Aelia Eudocia had the first name of Athenais, was the daughter of a prominent pagan philosopher, and after her baptism became wife of Theodosius II in 421. She was active in literary work and sponsored public building, especially in Athens, which might have been her native town. She bore Theodosius a daughter and a son who died young thus terminating Theodosius's dynasty. This led to her estrangement from her husband in the early 430s and the growing influence of Pulcheria. Eudocia consoled herself with a long pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In 443 however, she had to leave Constantinople, accused, in a palace plot, of adultery with a good-looking friend of Theodosius II. She left for Jerusalem and spent there the rest of her life, immersed herself in local and universal church affairs, and was widely regarded as champion of Monophysitism.

Mints: Constantinopolis

List all Eudocia coins in the Catalog.

« back