Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

the court: the human element 147
Table 1. List of empresses A.D. 425–600
Aelia Pulcheria 414–53
Aelia Galla Placidia 421–50
Aelia Eudocia 423–60
Iusta Grata Honoria ?437–c. 450
Licinia Eudoxia 439–c. 462
Aelia Marcia Euphemia ?467–?472
Aelia Verina ?457–c. 484
Aelia Ariadne 474–515
Aelia Zenonis 475–6
Euphemia (Lupicina) ?518–c. 527
Theodora 527–48
Aelia Sophia 565–after March 601
Aelia Anastasia ?578–593/4
Aelia Constantina 582–?604/5
transmit an imperial tradition within an emerging court society: Pulcheria
was credited with personally preparing Theodosius II for his ceremonial
duties, while an anecdote reveals that Sophia and Constantina jointly procured
a new crown for Maurice and suggests that imperial women contributed
to the development of the symbols of power which is so prominent
in this period. 70
Did they actually wield power? After all, they operated in a society which
severely limited their field of action. Sexual segregation restricted their contacts
with men: empresses are noticeably absent from many, if not most,
public ceremonies involving the emperor, and they apparently had their own
female court, consisting chiefly of the wives of leading men in the
emperor’s entourage. 71 Yet modern historians have credited Galla Placidia
and Pulcheria with decisive political roles. Between them, the mother and
daughter Verina and Ariadne maintained a pivotal role at court for over half
a century, notwithstanding coups and civil wars, while the diadem passed
through the male hands of four biological families, including their own.
Empresses’ political importance is most obvious at times of transition – for
instance, when, like Pulcheria or Ariadne, they married newly elected
emperors. But their role went beyond merely legitimizing someone else’s
choice for emperor. Ariadne is reliably reported to have selected Anastasius
as emperor, while her mother proclaimed the usurpers Basiliscus and
Leontius. 72 Sophia attempted to exploit the transition at her husband’s death
and, as we saw, Tiberius had difficulty dislodging her from the Great Palace.
70 Soz. ix.1.6; Theoph. AM 6093. 71 Cf. John Eph. HE iii.3.8.
72 Const. Porph. De Cer. i.92; Chron. Pasch. s.a. 477; Joh. Mal. (slav.) xv.
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