Aelia Eudocia
| Aelia Eudocia | |||||
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| Eastern Roman Empress | |||||
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| Born | c. 401 Athens |
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| Died | October 20, 460 (aged 58 - 59) Jerusalem |
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| Spouse | Theodosius II | ||||
| Issue | Licinia Eudoxia | ||||
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| Father | Leontius | ||||
| Full name | |
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| Eudocia Augusta |
Aelia Eudocia Augusta /ˈiːli.ə juːˈdoʊʃə ɔːˈɡʌstə/ (Late Greek: Αιλία Ευδοκία Αυγούστα; c. 401–460 AD), also called Saint Eudocia, was the Greek wife of Roman emperor Theodosius II (r. 408–450), and a prominent historical figure in understanding the rise of Christianity. Eudocia lived in a world where Greek paganism and Christianity existed side-by-side with both pagans and non-Orthodox Christians being persecuted. Although Eudocia's work has been mostly ignored by modern scholars, her poetry and literary work are great examples of how her Christian faith and Greek heritage/upbringing were intertwined, exemplifying a legacy that the Roman Empire left behind on the Christian world.
Aelia Eudocia was born circa 400 AD in Athens into a family of Greek descent. Her father, a Greek philosopher named Leontius, taught rhetoric at the Academy of Athens, where people from all over the Mediterranean came to either teach or learn. Eudocia's given name was Athenais, chosen by her parents in honour of the city's protector, the pagan goddess Pallas Athena. Her father was rich and had a magnificent house on the Acropolis with a large courtyard in which young Athenais frequently played as a child.
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