Eudocia of Byzantium (d. 404)
Eudocia of Byzantium (d. 404)
Empress of Byzantium. Name variations: Eudocia Augusta; Eudokia; Eudoxia; Eudoxia the Frank. Died in 404 in Constantinople; daughter of Bauto, a Frankish military official; married Arcadius, emperor ofByzantium (r. 395–408), in 395; mother-in-law of Eudocia (c. 400–460); children: Theodocius also known as Theodosius II, East Roman emperor (r. 408–450); and stepdaughters Pulcheria (c. 398–453), Arcadia , and Marina .
Eudocia of Byzantium was the daughter of a Frankish mercenary general. In 395, she married Emperor Arcadius of Byzantium, a union arranged as part of a scheme by the court official Eutropius to further his own interests. Arcadius proved to be an incompetent ruler and weak-willed man who was easily dominated by his advisors, including Eutropius. Eudocia used her position to help Eutropius' enemies banish Eutropius from the empire in 399. Possessed of powerful character and intelligence, she exerted enormous power over the imperial government. Eudocia became so important to the administration that in 400 she was given the title "Augusta," which was usually reserved for a woman ruling in her own name. She continued to act as the real ruler of Byzantium until her death from a miscarriage in 404.
Laura York , Riverside, California