Eudoxia

(Εὐδοξία), the name of several princesses chiefly of the Eastern or Byzantine empire.

1. The daughter of the Frank Bauto, married to the emperor Arcadius, A. D. 395, by whom she had four daughters, Flacilla or Flaccilla or Falcilla, Pulcheria, Arcadia, and Marina, and one son, Theodosius II. or the younger. She was a woman of high spirit, and exercised great influence over her husband: to her persuasion his giving up of the eunuch Eutropius into the power of his enemies may be ascribed. She was involved in a fierce contest with Chrysostom, who fearlessly inveighed against the avarice and luxury of the court, and scrupled not to attack the empress herself. The particulars of the struggle are given elsewhere. [Chrysostomus, Joannes.] She died of a miscarriage in the sixth consulship of Honorius, A. D. 404, or, according to Theophanes, A. D. 406. The date of her death is carefully discussed by Tillemont. (Histoire des Empereurs, vol. v. p. 785.) Cedrenus narrates some curious particulars of her death, but their credibility is very doubtful. (Philostorgius, Hist. Eccles. apud Photium ; Marcellinus, (Chronicon ; Socrates, Hist. Eccles. 6.18; Cassiodor. Hist. Tripart. 10.20; Theophanes, Chronographia ad A. M. 5892, 97, 98, Alex. era; Cedrenus, Compend. vol. i. p. 585, ed. Bonn.)

2. Daughter of Theodosius II. and of Eudocia, born A. D. 422, and betrothed soon after to Valentinian, son of the emperor Honorius, who afterwards was emperor of the West as Valentinian III. and to whom she was married at Constantinople in A. D. 436 or 437. On the assassination of her husband by Maximus (A. D. 455), who usurped the throne, she was compelled to marry the usurper; but, resenting both the death of her husband and the violence offered to herself, she instigated Genseric, king of the Vandals, who had conquered Africa, to attack Rome. Genseric took the city. Maximus was slain in the flight, and Eudoxia and her daughters, Eudocia and Placidia, were carried by the Vandal king to Carthage. After being detained in captivity some years, she was sent with her daughter Placidia and an honourable attendance to Constantinople. [See Eudocia, No. 1, and the authorities subjoined there.]

The coins of the empresses Eudocia and Eudoxia are, from the two names being put one for the other, difficult to be assigned to their respective persons. (See Eckhel, Doctrina Num. Veterum, vol. viii. p. 170.) [J.C.M]