Eudoxia | Empress, Regent, Wife | Britannica (original) (raw)

Eudoxia (died Oct. 6, 404) was the wife of, and a powerful influence over, the Eastern Roman emperor Arcadius (reigned 383–408).

Her father was a Frankish general in the Roman army and consul (385) named Bauto. The marriage (April 27, 395) of Arcadius to Eudoxia was arranged by Arcadius’ minister, the eunuch Eutropius, who had supported the match in order to undercut the position of a political rival. But Eudoxia came to resent being dominated by Eutropius, and in 399 she helped bring about his downfall. The period of Eudoxia’s most decisive influence over her ineffectual husband dates from her designation as augusta on Jan. 9, 400.

Although an earnest Christian, she quarreled bitterly with John Chrysostom, patriarch of Constantinople, who attacked her and the frivolity of her court in outspoken terms. In 404 she expelled him from his see and sent him into exile. Shortly afterward Eudoxia died from a miscarriage. But she had borne Arcadius four daughters and a son, who became the emperor Theodosius II (reigned 408–450). One of the daughters, Pulcheria, was regent for Theodosius II for several years.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.