Licinia Eudoxia (422–before 490)

Empress of Rome. Name variations: Eudocia; Eudoxia. Born in 422; died before 490; daughter of Eudocia (c. 400–460) and Theodosius II, East Roman emperor; married Valentinian III (born 419), West Roman emperor, in 437 (died 455); daughter-in-law of Galla Placidia (c. 390–450); sister-in-law of Honoria (c. 420–?); married against her will Petronius Maximus, around 456; children: (first marriage) two daughters: Eudocia (who married Huneric around 462) and Placidia.

The daughter of Theodosius II, an Augustus (emperor) and Eudocia , an Augusta (empress), Licinia Eudoxia never knew a life which was not overshadowed by the politics of the late Roman Empire. She was betrothed in 424 to Valentinian III, the third of his name to be acclaimed an emperor. Valentinian was the son of Constantius (a general who had been a dominant political force in the empire before being acclaimed an Augustus in 421, only to die a few months later) and Galla Placidia (another Augusta, whose half-brother Honorius was also an Augustus). At the time there were, in theory, two Roman emperors, one ruling the East from Constantinople and another the West from one of several possible locals in Italy. The number of empresses was dependent upon how many mothers or wives of the emperors both existed and had the ability to maintain their political clout.

Licinia Eudoxia married Valentinian in 437 in Constantinople, the most important city in the empire, and was officially elevated to the rank of Augusta at Ravenna, in Italy, in 439, a status which she probably held until her death. This marriage produced two daughters, Eudocia and Placidia . Years before the consummation of this union (425), Theodosius II had elevated a six-year-old Valentinian III to the status of Augustus and established the seat of his authority in Rome. In reality, until around 440, Galla Placidia was the power behind her son as long as he was a minor, and she would remain a potent influence until her death in 450. Political rivalries during the period, however, ran deep, and one Flavius Aetius (with a power base in Gaul) effectively challenged the interests of both Galla Placidia and her son for as long as both lived.

For five years after the death of Galla Placidia, Licinia Eudoxia reigned as the most influential woman in the Western Roman Empire, but in 455 her husband was assassinated by Flavius Aetius personally, a deed which thrust the West into chaos. Aetius, however, did not benefit from his treachery, because a supporter of Valentinian assassinated Aetius shortly after Aetius murdered Valentinian. In the political fray which ensued, Licinia Eudoxia supported the imperial elevation of one Maiorianus, but her advocacy was not enough to enthrone her choice. Rather, one Petronius Maximus, who was only 22 at the time, was able to secure the Western throne and was even able to marry Licinia Eudoxia, albeit against her will. Tied to a usurper she did not care for, Licinia Eudoxia is rumored to have invited Geiseric, king of the Vandals (a powerful barbarian folk who had seen their seizure of Roman north Africa legitimized in return for technical pledges of allegiance to the Western Augustus), to invade Italy. Whether Licinia Eudoxia did so or not, Geiseric acted in his political interest by "rescuing" her and her daughters (one of whom, Eudocia, had previously been betrothed to Huneric, Geiseric's son) from the clutches of their abductor. In the process, Geiseric sacked Rome (455) before removing his imperial charges to Africa. There, Licinia Eudoxia languished for years before the diplomacy of the Eastern emperors, Marcian and Leo, finally won her return, and that of her daughter Placidia, to Constantinople. However, this was only accomplished after Huneric was allowed to wed Eudocia (about 462).

After her return to the East, Licinia Eudoxia apparently was satisfied to live on her estates near Constantinople, where religion replaced politics as her primary interest—although, at the time, it was often difficult to distinguish the two. She is known to have been a devotee of Daniel the Stylite, to whom she proffered an invitation, which he declined, to live on her land. It is not certain how long Licinia Eudoxia lived in retirement, but she seems to have died by 490.

William Greenwalt , Associate Professor of Classical History, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California